A Circle of Women
by butterfly collective
Summary: They faced off in opposites of the courtroom but when two female attorneys choose the wrong time to go to a bank, they must rely on each other.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1-- A couple of us got together and discussed a fan fiction challenge to try this new cross-over fiction feature at . So this is mine (which is an ode to shows based in Texas) and I'm not sure where in blazes its going but it's a start of something. I don't own any of the characters in any of these shows nor will I make money. I am just doing this because I want the chocolate fish and because it's lots of fun writing. And if I can write a fanfiction under 100,000 words.

I hope you like my fanfiction. I hope it goes in some direction. Because I love writing and I really, really want the chocolate fish.

* * *

C.J. Parsons waited outside the building for Fran and Chris. She had finished off a packet of saltines and felt better. Still, the idea of eating a heavy lunch didn't appeal to her. She hoped she could handle the soup of the day but it didn't appear very promising.

"Hey, have you been waiting long?"

C.J. looked up and saw Fran walking towards her, carrying a bag from Victoria's Secret. In anticipation of a weekend holiday cruise with her husband, Carlos, Fran had been hitting the stores, shopping for her vacation wardrobe fromberets to toe rings.

"No, not long at all," C.J. said, "I spent the morning in chambers with the judge and that new federal prosecutor from Dallas."

Fran made a face.

"I heard about her," she said, "I read she was a bad-ass D.A. before she jumped ships."

C.J. nodded.

"Just the thought of facing her in court…It's kept me up at night."

"But she's pretty cool," Fran said, "She's built a reputation for helping women in trouble. I've seen her speak on these issues at conferences."

"I know," C.J. said, "I like that side of her just fine and she's a hell of a lawyer. I'm just not looking forward to this afternoon."

They started down the sidewalk towards Houston Enterprises. Earlier in the morning, it had rained but now the sun's heat had begun to melt the clouds, making Houston's residents temporarily forget about autumn.

Fran gave her a careful look over.

"You look pale," she said, "Have you been getting enough sleep?"

"As much as I can, while preparing for this case."

They waited for the stoplight to change then crossed the street.

"When does Matt get back," Fran asked.

"Tomorrow night," C.J. said, "He's finishing up the final paperwork for the transfer of his agency to Brody and Greg."

"I know that's got to be difficult, even though I know he loves his life here."

C.J. knew that he did too. Still, she worried that he would miss living in L.A. and the glamor of his old career. She wondered if he had any regrets about his decision. She wondered how he would handle her news. She wondered how her head could possibly spin more than her stomach.

* * *

The blonde woman had followed her in the bathroom where she had rushed to after the brief evidential hearing. C.J. had tossed up her breakfast and after she finished, she got up off the tile floor, away from the porcelain god and grabbed some paper towels to wipe her face. She stood in front of the mirror wondering how she could rehabilitate her image as a ruthless public defender in under five minutes. Harvard Law hadn't prepared her for the reality of facing off in court in a game with high-stakes with a judge serving as referee. She would have to walk back in the courtroom after the recess and resume presenting her argument as if nothing had happened. One moment, she looked forward to take on all of them. The next, she thought she'd rather face a swimming pool filled with piranhas. Still, she loved the law and fully enjoyed her affair with it. Most of the time.

"Here," the woman said.

C.J. looked up and the woman handed her bottled water.

"Thanks," she said, opening the bottle and sipping some water, slowly.

"Your first court hearing," the woman asked.

C.J. nodded.

"How did you…"

The woman smiled, broadly.

"I've been there myself," she said, "It took me a couple trials before I could keep my breakfast down."

"But you're…"

"Now I am," she said, "but you should have seen me when I was a baby D.A."

"I know we're on opposite sides," C.J. said, "But you're really great in there."

Alex smiled.

"So are you," she said, "If I were a juror, maybe I'd swing your way, but I'm a prosecutor and I've got a job to do."

C.J. felt pleased.

"Thanks," she said, then held up the bottle, "And for this too."

C.J. watched as Alex Cahill strode purposely out of the bathroom.

* * *

"Are you okay?"

C.J. looked up and saw Fran looking at her oddly.

"I'm fine," she said, "I was just remembering the first time I went up against Alex Cahill-Walker."

"How'd that go?"

C.J. grimaced.

"I tried my hardest," she said, "But I lost. Still, she really tested me and I enjoyed the challenge."

"You'll beat her this time," Fran said as they neared the office building.

"We shouldn't even be adversaries in this case," C.J. said, "But my client is scared to testify under the current circumstances."

"Do you think she'll really get her thrown in jail on contempt?"

C.J. sighed.

"I don't know," she said, "Alisha is the strongest witness the feds have but her safety is at risk if she's forced on the witness stand."

"I hope it all works out," Fran said.

"Me too," C.J. said, "Hey do you think that Chris has any idea what we're planning?"

"She's pretty sharp," Fran said, "But I think she's in the dark this time."

"Good," C.J. said, "I want her to really enjoy her shower so we just have to be careful for the next several days."

"Speaking of…"

They both watch Chris approach them or rather waddle. At nearly nine months pregnant, she thought during isolated moments that she remembered what it was like to move unencumbered and what her feet looked like. Only several weeks to go until the finish line and two days left at work before she went on maternity leave. She still had a nursery to design with all the furniture currently stored in her home office.

"If you get any bigger, we're going to have to bring a wagon," Fran said, looking her over.

"Ha ha," Chris said, "Are my feet still attached to my legs? I haven't been able to see them in a while."

Both C.J. and Fran nodded.

"What a relief," she said.

"How much longer do you have to go," Fran said, "Cause you look like you're going to explode."

Chris smiled grimly.

"Thanks Fran," she said, "I do feel like it most of the time. If it's not heartburn, it's this damn bladder."

"It'll all be over in a few weeks," Fran said, "and then you'll have a brand new life in your household."

Chris smiled.

"Yeah there's that. I've really been looking forward to this."

Fran cocked her head.

"Then of course you won't sleep for the next 20 years."

C.J. had paid attention to the conversation with some bemusement, knowing that Fran's teasing was all in fun. But also knowing that Chris needed some encouragement now that she was in the home stretch of what had not been an easy pregnancy.

"I think it's really great that you're adding to your family," she said, "You'll be a wonderful mother."

"Well, Butterfly's been a great help," Chris said, "After the six months it took her to get used to the idea.""

"She's really excited," C.J. said, "She just worried for a while that the baby would take her place."

Chris nodded.

"She wants to film the birth," she said, "But when she started mentioning inserting zombies during the editing process, I got a little bit concerned."

C.J. chuckled.

"So are you ready to leave the corporate rat race for a while?"

Chris grew thoughtful.

"I love my job," she said, "But I'm really looking forward to being a mother and I just am not sure how it's all going to come together. How I'm going to make it work."

C.J.'s face grew serious.

"Yeah that's a difficult road to navigate, balancing all these priorities in your life but you have Dan."

Chris smiled.

"Yeah, he's been great especially with the mood swings and those middle of the night rushes for pistachio ice cream and sauerkraut."

Fran blanched.

"You're worse than me," she said, "I thought banana and watercress sandwiches with plenty of horseradish sauce and chocolate sauce was the greatest thing until 10 minutes after I gave birth."

"Sounds…interesting," C.J. said.

Both women turned to look at her.

"So when are you planning to gain your membership into the exotic food cravings club?"

C.J.'s face flushed then she laughed.

"We're not even married yet."

"That's not a requirement," Fran said, "Some of us standing here did jump the gun. It all works out in the end."

"I'm sure it does," C.J. said, "So where do you want to eat?"

Fran pursed her mouth.

"How about that new place across from the mall?"

The other two women nodded and they headed in that direction.

* * *

Over a thousand miles and two time zones away, Matt sat at the table of another restaurant with two of his investigators, Brody and Greg.

"So are you sure you want to do this," Brody asked, watching the play of emotions on Matt's face.

Matt nodded.

"I'm sure," he said, "I still maintain a controlling share and you two have to do most of the work."

"We're cool with that," Brody said.

"You've got a top-notch roster of investigators to help you out," Matt said, "As we know, they're all top of the line professionals."

"Yeah we got that," Brody said.

"You have the penthouse office in the Century City building and two receptionists and an office manager," Matt said, "And Murray's younger brother will do the books. He's just out of Yale's business school."

"Gotcha."

"Roy's staying in L.A. to be with his son's family," Matt said, "He'll be checking up on you and will help you whenever you need it."

Brody looked hopeful.

"Do we get company cars?"

Matt threw him an irritated look.

"No."

"I had to at least try," Brody said, "At least there's still the impound yard."

Greg looked up from his note taking.

"Are you really cool with leaving your agency in our hands?"

Matt took a sip of his orange juice.

"Yeah I am," he said, "I loved running my agency and I'll miss it and I'll miss L.A but Houston's got both smog and traffic so I'll be taking part of it with me."

"No second thoughts?"

Matt picked up the papers he had signed.

"I really like what I'm doing now. I like living in Houston. And I'm working alongside the woman I love. That's more than enough for me."

Both men nodded.

"When you put it that way," Brody said, "I can see you've got your mind made up."

* * *

Chris picked up a bread stick.

"This place is awesome," she said, dipping it in her sauce.

Fran nodded.

"Carlos took the twins here the other night," Fran said, "And they weren't banned from ever coming back so I figure it must be an all right spot."

C.J. fidgeted with her soup.

"That's all you're eating," Chris asked.

C.J. shrugged.

"I'm not that hungry," she said, "I think I'm keyed up about this federal case."

Chris and Fran looked at each other.

"That's the one where you're representing the witness right?"

C.J. nodded.

"The feds need her to testify for their case but they aren't willing to take measures to make sure nothing happens to her."

Chris reached for another bread stick.

"Why not," she asked.

C.J. hesitated, taking another stab at her soup, which was broccoli and cheese but she couldn't muster the enthusiasm. She put down her spoon and picked up a bread stick and smothered it with olive oil.

"I don't know," she said, "Alex said that she would get back to her supervisor with some of my requests so maybe there will be better news after lunch."

"I hope so," Fran said.

"I don't know what action to take if Alisha ends up in jail on contempt," C.J. said, reaching for the mustard bottle and squirting it on her plate.

"The judge wouldn't do that, would he," Chris said.

C.J. dipped her breadstick in the mustard. Then she frowned and reached for the Tabasco sauce and poured a small dab of that next to the mustard.

"I wouldn't think so," she said, "I mean Alisha is the victim here. It wouldn't look good if the _Houston Chronicle_ published a photo of her being led away in handcuffs on its front page."

Chris and Fran both looked at C.J. She narrowed her eyes back at them.

"What?"

Chris looked at Fran and raised her brows. Fran stared at C.J.'s plate, with a mixture of fascination and horror.

"What's the matter," C.J. said.

What are you doing to that poor bread stick," Fran asked.

C.J. just shrugged and took another bite.

* * *

Alex Cahill-Walker ate alone in a café next to the courthouse. She had called her husband, Cordell a few minutes ago to say that she would hop on the highway after court and drive back to Dallas. These daily commutes to handle cases in Houston wore her out but she hated the thought of shacking up in a hotel until her committed caseload was completed and she returned to her Dallas office.

She hated her current case. She hated having to stand up in the courtroom in front of the pompous judge in the black robe and act like it was her deepest wish to throw a poor teenaged pregnant girl into jail on contempt because she wouldn't name the father of her baby, who most likely was a wanted drug courier for a major cartel in Mexico. Alex sighed as she thought of Angela, her own young daughter who had come into the world in a difficult way. Her daughter, who just turned two, now ruled the household and had her daddy's heart wrapped around her pudgy fingers. Only last night, she had tucked Angela in her crib and stroked her head, wishing her a night of pleasant dreams. This morning, she had to hit the highway so early, she didn't see her daughter wake.

She looked at her watch. She still had nearly an hour until court reconvened and she had to return to playing the heavy in a very tragic situation. She smiled, as she thought of Alisha's lawyer, C.J., who shot from the hip and pulled no punches when defending her client. Alex felt less guilty about what her job forced her to do knowing that Alisha had such a spitfire standing in her corner. She and C.J. had met only once before when she had been cutting her teeth at the Houston County District Attorney's office and C.J. had been a brand new public defender, having just graduated near the top of her class at Harvard School of Law. She had been impressed with the vivacious young woman with the shoulder length curls and a real passion for the law that Alex had seen in few attorneys before and even fewer since. C.J. had swallowed her nerves and taken center stage while trying to get evidence thrown out against her client and had waited until the recess to run into the bathroom to betray the impact of her first major court appearance on her digestive system.

Alex frowned, remembering that history had repeated itself with her running into C.J. in another courthouse bathroom losing her breakfast. Maybe she had been wrong about her moving past. Not that it mattered, because it sure didn't affect her performance inside the courtroom. She had asked her what was wrong and C.J. mentioned something about eating bad halibut the previous night.

Her phone rang. She picked it up.

"Hi honey," she said, "Calling back so soon?"

"Hi there," Walker said, "I forgot to ask you if I was supposed to pick up some more steaks for tonight."

She laughed and tucked the phone between her chin and shoulder.

"I forgot to tell you that I'm inviting more guests," Alex said.

Silence greeted her and she laughed further as she envisioned Walker digesting this news.

"Are you still there, honey?"

"Yes, how many more people?"

"Four, maybe five," she said, "Pick up six more steaks just to be on the safe side."

"Will do," he said, "Anything else?"

"No…Except I love you and can't wait to see you."

"Love you too," he said.

She clicked off her phone and looked at her watch again. She asked the waiter for the check so that she could head to the bank to deposit some checks.

* * *

C.J. sat back in her seat lost in thought as both Chris and Fran chatted about decorating nurseries and the importance of getting their kids on the waiting lists for pre-school the day after they were born. She thought of the court fight that awaited her in the afternoon and knew she had to do whatever was necessary to keep Alisha out of jail. And if that meant beating Alex and the federal government in court, so be it. Unless Alex and the agency she represented would agree to measures to protect Alisha, she wasn't going to give up.

She reached for her water and took a sip. Her mouth felt dry and she drunk the entire glass. She thought about Matt in L.A. signing away his business, the detective agency that they both had built together from the ground up. He kept telling her that he was ready to move on and she knew he loved his new line of work. Still…

"So have you set a date?"

C.J. looked up as both Fran and Chris looked at her expectedly.

"We're thinking about a couple months from now," she said, "In December."

Fran's face brightened.

"A Christmas wedding," she said, "That's great."

"Actually closer to New Years Eve," C.J. said, picking up another bread stick and realizing she was looking at the last one.

Fran looked noncommittal.

"You can have that last one," she said, "That's all you've been eating but don't let it anywhere near that Tabasco sauce."

"Yeah, that's pretty scary," Chris agreed.

"And the anchovies and pickle sandwiches that you have on special order, aren't," Fran challenged, tossing her hair back.

C.J grew thoughtful.

"I'd love some anchovies right now."

Both women looked at her.

"Not in my presence," Fran said, "Any fish that's shorter than two feet can't ever be trusted."

C.J. shook her head.

"That can't be," she said, "That eliminates trout and then there would that leave us?"

"It would break Butterfly's heart," Chris said, "She loved fishing when she was in Colorado."

The waiter came to their table.

"Would you like anything else," he said.

Fran smiled.

"Do you have any anchovies, by chance?"

He looked confused.

"I'm new here," he said, "But I don't think they're on the menu. I could check."

C.J. put her hand up.

"No that's okay," she said, "I'll pick some up on the way home."

"What is with you girl," Frank said, shaking her head, "Your taste in food puts the both of us to shame."

The glass of water that C.J. picked up to drink from stopped halfway to her lips.

* * *

Alex sat at her table, gathering her things when she noticed that her supervisor, Thomas Carter had entered the café. She groaned inwardly but didn't allow her irritation to appear on her face.

"Alex, I thought I'd find you here," he said, sitting down.

"What is it, Carter?"

He placed a folder of document on the table and pushed them over to Alex. She flipped through them and then slammed the folder shut. Anger filled her blue eyes.

"There's no way I'm going down that road just to win this case," she said.

He clasped his hands together and rested them on the table.

"You will do what I tell you to do," he said.

"And what if I say no?"

He tilted his head.

"Then you can go back to being stuck in a dead end job with the Dallas D.A."

She shifted in her seat.

"It wasn't a dead end job," she said, "I just needed a change."

"You're a working mother," Thomas said.

Her eyes darted up.

"What does that mean?"

He sighed.

"The law is a harsh task master on even a single person, Alex," Thomas said, "But you have a child."

She picked up her glass of ice tea.

"Are you trying to tell me how to balance out my professional with my personal life," she said, "I thought you were here to tell me how to handle this case."

"That's exactly why I'm here and this is how you're going to handle it this afternoon."

"If I do this, Alisha's counsel will go after me with guns blazing," Alex said, "And she should."

"Alex…"

"I would."

She got up from the table, after the waiter returned her credit card to her and walked out of the restaurant.

* * *

Matt walked into the penthouse office and saw Roy sitting there watching the news on television. He went to the mini-frig in the wet bar to get himself a beer.

"So how did it go?"

Matt popped the tab off and took a sip.

"I signed the agency over to them," he said, walking to the couch to sit down.

"How does it feel," Roy asked.

Matt gave it some thought.

"Not as bad as I thought," he said, "I'm ready to move on."

"You love what you're doing now?"

Matt nodded.

"It's great," he said, "I enjoy the assignments. It's a lot different than what I've been doing but I feel like we're making a difference."

Roy smiled.

"I believe that you are," he said. "How's living in Houston suiting you?"

"I didn't realize that I had missed it," he said, "I've been out looking for some land to buy. In fact, I had some properties to look at with C.J. when I get back."

"That sounds like a good plan."

"Both of us want to leave the city," Matt said, "We grew up on ranch land so that's where we feel we belong."

"Then that's what you should do," Roy said.

He put his glass down on the table.

"I'm thinking of flying back home early," he said.

"Any problems?"

Matt shook his head.

"C.J.'s just got a really hard court case, from something we both worked on for several months," he said, "And someone's got to make sure she's eating and resting properly."

Roy smiled.

"Naturally, someone who's nearly as driven as she is," he said, "But you're right."

Matt hesitated.

"I have something else to run past her when I get back," he said, "I hope she agrees."

* * *

C.J. looked up at the waiter who presented her with the check.

"I'm buying," she said, taking out her plastic. He took her card.

"Thanks for the lunch," Chris said, "Now I'm going to need someone to help me get up."

"Should we call your husband," Fran asked.

"No, he's the reason why I can no longer get up unaided."

Fran snorted.

"Try carrying twins, dear."

C.J. looked in her purse.

"Damn, I'm going to have to run by the bank before I head back."

"Don't worry," Chris said, "We'll go with you."

Fran shrugged.

"That's cool."

The waiter returned with C.J.'s card which she stashed back in her wallet. They all including Chris got up and left the restaurant to head off towards the bank.

C.J. looked at her watch. It was almost one o'clock. A few minutes in and out of the bank and then back to meet her legal match back in the courtroom. However, fate had other plans as they would soon discover.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2--Here's another chapter of this cross-fiction story. Hope you enjoy it. It's kind of fun combining two good shows. Hope you enjoy it and thanks for the feedback!

* * *

The three of them approached the bank. Each lost in their own thoughts while walking down the tree-lined street.

C.J. thought back to yesterday morning when Matt had left the house to go to the airport. She had risen early and felt queasy lying in bed running through the list of items she had eaten the previous day. It couldn't be the cereal she began the morning with, nor the mid-day salad with tuna on the side. It must have been the halibut that she ate for dinner, but wait a minute, Matt had some of the halibut when she couldn't finish it. Two seconds later, she forgot all about the halibut when she ran to the bathroom before it was too late.

She just made it.

Afterward, she knelt by the toilet resting herself on her back of her calves, wiping her face. She felt better and her stomach settled down a bit.

A knock sounded on the bathroom door.

"C.J., I've got to get in there to get my razor," Matt said.

She slowly opened the door and allowed him in, but when he saw her pale face, he forgot about the razor.

"Are you feeling okay," he asked.

She shifted from one foot to another.

"I've felt better," she said, "I think it was the dinner last night that didn't agree with me."

Matt frowned.

"I ate part of your meal when I finished the bass," he said, "It tasted pretty good."

She rubbed her watery eyes.

"I've got to get to court early today," she said, "I have to go against the federal prosecutor from Dallas in one hour and I'm not even dressed."

"If it helps any, you sure look beautiful this morning," he said, reaching for his razor to pack in his suitcase.

She looked at him, not feeling beautiful. In fact, she might have not completely ridded herself of the damn fish dinner as she felt her stomach lurch again.

"C.J., maybe you should call in sick," he said.

Her eyes flashed.

"I can't just call in sick," she said, "This is a huge case. You should know it. You did most of the leg work."

He watched her pacing back and forth, and tried to keep up but she kept going.

"I have to go against a prosecutor who's the toughest in Texas, in front of a judge who believes female attorneys are too emotional and my witness is scared to death."

He followed her pacing into the bedroom where she sat on the corner of her bed, holding her stomach.

"C.J., you're obviously not feeling well," he said, reaching to feel her forehead. "No fever, but you might have food poisoning."

"I can manage," she said, pulling her robe around her.

He sat down next to her.

"I won't go to L.A."

She turned her face around suddenly.

"Yes you are going to L.A.," she said, "That is unless you've changed your mind."

He shook his head.

"I haven't," he said, "But the agency can wait, you're more important."

She smiled, stroking the stubble on his face.

"Thank you," she said, "But no, you need to go and meet with Brody and Greg. You can't keep them waiting."

"I know," he said, "I'm not procrastinating on signing it over to them."

"Houston, if you don't want to do this…"

She looked like she might start pacing again.

"No, I'm going to do it," he said, "I'm ready to do it.

She ran her hand through her hair and sighed.

"I don't want to be the one who pushed you to give up your dream."

He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him so that her head rested against him.

"You didn't do that," he said, "You're the one who helped me find an even better one."

She smiled, looking at him.

"That goes double for me," she said, then stood up, "I'm really running late now."

"Are you sure you're going to be all right," he asked.

She nodded.

"I'm sure," she said, "Now get back to packing."

* * *

Matt left the restaurant and headed to his sports car. He smiled as he remembered the crushed look on Brody's face when he told him that his beloved Mercedes wasn't included in the package deal. He loved driving because it helped him think, even though in L.A. more often than not, you spent more of your time in a holding pattern on one of the local highways than cruising down the streets. He turned on his radio and listened to some jazz. Brody had gotten him interested in it while they worked many stakeouts together.

He remembered waking up the morning before and looking down at C.J. who remained asleep, with the sheets tucked around her. Her hair laid spread across her pillow and her hands tucked under her head. He moved quietly because he hadn't wanted to wake her because she had been so tired last night, falling asleep on the way home from the restaurant. He knew the latest case she had assigned herself cost her many hours of work. It was a case which Matt was intimately familiar with because he had done a lot of the field work with C.J. trying to locate and then later shelter a young pregnant woman who had witnessed many horrible crimes. The minute he first saw Alisha cowered in a corner of a disheveled house, he knew what had drawn C.J. towards finding her.

He had tried to move quietly but he heard C.J. stir behind him. The next thing he knew she had darted out of bed in her blue robe and ran into the bathroom. He looked at the closed door then went back to packing until he realized he needed his razor.

She opened the door when he knocked and she looked pale and her eyes, watery. Still, he told her that she was beautiful but she didn't appear to believe him. She didn't look like she believed him when he said he was ready to sign over the majority interest in his investigative agency to his associates. But if he had any doubts that he hadn't been ready to do this, they disappeared while working with C.J. on the latest case. The work proved to be much harder, and exacted a greater emotional toll but at its end, it also proved to be much more rewarding. He loved what he was doing and once again, he was building a new business with the woman he loved from the ground up. Life didn't get any better than that.

He found himself suddenly not wanting to fly out to L.A. and not being sure why. He told himself it was because she didn't look well or that he felt that she needed him to stay here. He wondered if he did have last minute reservations about signing over a large piece of himself and his life. But the truth was he didn't know what made him want to call Brody up and reschedule their meeting.

"Get back to packing," C.J. said, still sitting on the bed in her robe. She walked into the kitchen to make some tea to settle her stomach and then she jumped into the shower. He watched her go, concern etched on his face.

His cell phone rang while he drove down Sunset Blvd near the Palisades interrupting his thoughts.

"Brody, what's up?"

"I'm on that stake out near the marina," he said.

"No you don't," Matt said, "You're not going to bring me into it this time."

"Why not," Brody said, "Since you're out here, why should I have all the fun?"

Matt paused.

"I might be heading back early."

"Why would you do that?"

"C.J.'s working on that really tough case we just finished…"

"Oh yeah, the one with the pregnant girl," Brody said, "Tough deal."

"And she's not feeling very well right now," Matt said, "Food poisoning."

"That sounds rough."

"She's been working really hard," Matt said, "Been tired."

Brody hesitated.

"Are you sure she's sick?"

Matt grew exasperated.

"Of course I'm sure," he said, "She couldn't keep anything down yesterday…"

"Morning, right?"

"Well, yeah…"

"I don't think it's anything to worry about," Brody said, calmly, "Nothing some time won't cure."

"Obviously, that and rest."

Brody grew silent.

"Brody, you still there?"

"Yeah," he said, "Now I'm going to give you some advice. When you get home today or tomorrow, she might have something to tell you. Just sit down, listen and let her tell you, okay?"

Matt grew puzzled.

"Okay," he said.

"Matt, come on out to this stakeout for just a little while," Brody said, gravely, "You and I need to talk."

* * *

Alex walked down the street after leaving the café and her upset supervisor in her wake. How dare Thomas pull that 11th hour crap on her just minutes before she had to go back to court and face off with C.J. in front of that sexist judge. He had rattled her nerves a little bit but she could never let on, so she had put on her game face when she left, the same one she reserved for tough court battles. If Walker had been here, he would have cheered her on, as he always supported her when she stood up for herself. Unlike some men she had known, strong women asserting themselves didn't scare him. But he and Angela were back in Dallas. Her husband had begun working on a complicated narcotics case and had been supervising an undercover operation with two other rangers, Sydney and Gage. She hadn't even seen him in several weeks and his assignment ended with an initial bust of an illegal operation inside a dry cleaning shop only one day before she had to drive to Houston.

She dragged her suitcase to the chair in their bedroom to pack her bag. Walker's unpacked bag from the days and nights spent working still rested on the floor next to it. She planned to commute back home each night but was taking some of her clothes just in case she had to stay over.

"So what time does your hearing start," he asked.

"About 10:30," she said, going to the bathroom to get some items.

"You've got your GPS on," he asked.

She rolled her eyes at him.

"Of course I do," she said, "And I have my triple A card, two cell phones in case one goes dead and I've got a trunk packed with supplies in case…it starts to blizzard or something."

"This is hurricane season still," he reminded her.

She reached over to hug him and kiss him on the cheek, enjoying the feel of his beard on her face. Many women didn't like beards on their men and neither did Alex until she first kissed Walker. He offered to shave it off several times and she responded back by pointing her finger at him and saying, don't you dare.

"I know and I'm always careful when I travel," she said, "You be careful. You're the one who's out there catching bad guys and these narcotics operations…."

She shuddered and sank on the bed. He sat down next to her and took her hand in his.

"Alex, I won't take any risks that aren't absolutely necessary," he said, "Besides Sydney and Gage are out doing the hard part and most of the dangerous part of the operation is behind us."

She nodded.

"Angela and I need you too much, Walker."

He sighed.

"I know that," he said, "We've got daycare at the office so I'll bring her with me."

Alex chuckled.

"That will be interesting as usual."

He grinned.

"I'll have to pry her out of Sydney's arms at the end of the day."

She linked her arm in hers and brought his hand up to her lips.

"So have you given serious thought to what we talked about?"

He grew silent. After a moment, she looked at him.

"Alex, there's nothing to think about," Walker said, "You know I want more children but Angela…that last pregnancy was tough on you and you nearly died."

She saw his concern and forced a smile.

"Most of the dangers had nothing to do with any medical problems."

He closed his eyes and she knew then without meaning to, she had struck a nerve deep inside of him.

"I didn't mean anything by that," she said, softly.

"I know that my job has intruded into our lives and made them both dangerous."

She gripped his hand.

"My job has done the same thing many times," she said, "Don't blame yourself. Blame the bad guys."

He looked at her and smiled.

"I married myself a smart woman," he said, getting up, "How much time do you have before you have to leave?"

She looked at her watch.

"About an hour."

"I'll make you some breakfast."

* * *

Alex smiled at the memory, as she approached the bank. Just a couple of minutes to deposit her checks and she'd be back into the trenches at the federal courthouse, doing a job that most of the time she loved just not today. She knew that Walker worried constantly about the safety of her and their daughter and felt guilty when the danger of his job invaded their family life and their home. She felt the same way when convicts that she had put away as a deputy prosecutor had hunted her down for revenge. They both knew that truly desperate and evil people often focused their anger and rage at the families of those they believed had wronged them. They both didn't want Angela or any other children they had to be caught in the middle of that.

But how could you deal with it when often you couldn't see it coming? Should either of them give up careers that years spent investing in them had woven them so deeply in the fabric of who they were that they often couldn't separate their jobs from their identities if they tried. If they had even wanted to walk away. Still, she often grappled with the consequences when work and family collided in ways that they didn't for most women facing similar choices. She knew by her husband's occasional restless nights that he struggled with the same demons.

But what could she do? She loved him.

* * *

"Hey, what are you doing later today," Fran asked as they neared the bank.

C.J. shrugged.

"Go home, soak in a nice hot bath and prepare for tomorrow's battles."

Fran looked at the weariness lining her friend's face.

"You need to get some sleep," she said, "You didn't eat much lunch except for those… breadsticks and you look exhausted."

C.J. knew her friend spoke the truth. The problem was, there wasn't a solution at least until Alex and the justice department backed off her client. Until that happened, she had to throw every ounce of energy and smarts she had into keeping Alisha out of jail.

"I'll rest up this weekend, she said, "Oh wait, I can't. Matt and I are going to that conference."

Fran stopped and turned to face her.

"Forget the damn conference," she said, "Take the weekend off from your career."

C.J. coughed.

"Well…we weren't actually planning to go to most of the panel discussions," she said.

Fran's eyes lit up.

"Gotcha," she said, "Well, I guess technically that's active rest at least."

Chris laughed.

" I'm planning to put my feet up and start enjoying my leave," she said, "Dan can do the housework and start on the nursery."

Fran rolled her eyes.

"Dan's going with Carlos to that he-man auto show at Minute Maid Park on Saturday"

Chris' face fell.

"Oh yeah, I remember," she said, "Well, we car show widows can spend the afternoon sipping tea and contemplating doing the nursery."

Fran nodded.

"Sounds like a plan."

C.J. watched them, her stomach threatening to lurch again. She reached for her water bottle and sipped slowly. She hoped that she could make it through the afternoon without rushing to the bathroom. Eating the breadsticks with mustard and Tabasco sauce had eased the queasiness at least for a while and she had felt better. She sighed, wondering just how long this would be going on anyways and wondered if she could just postpone the nausea until after she had won the battle for Alisha's freedom and safety.

Her brow prickled when she thought about what she needed to accomplish ahead of her , facing off against Alex. It certainly wouldn't be easy.

* * *

Yesterday morning, she had to rush to the bathroom and in what must be one of the more interesting cases of history repeating itself in legal history, Alex had shown up in the bathroom after C.J. had finished her latest encounter with the porcelain god.

Alex chuckled.

"Didn't we meet in similar circumstances last time?"

C.J. felt her face flush but hid it well.

"This time, it's not nerves," she insisted, taking out her water bottle to rinse her mouth.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," Alex said, "I still have my days when my stomach takes on a life of its own."

C.J. spit into the sink, then wiped her face.

"This time it's from the halibut I ate last night," she said.

Alex looked her over, and then smiled.

"How many days lately have you been eating…bad halibut?"

C.J. turned to look at her suddenly. She almost said something but then stopped to think.

"About six," she said, quietly, "and I only had it last night."

"Hmmm," Alex said, "Now, from purely logical perspective, what's the chances of six straight days of eating bad food?"

"Houston ate some of it and he didn't get sick," C.J. continued, looking into the sink.

"Houston, like the city?"

C.J. shook her head.

"No, like the man," she said, "He's my fiancé."

Alex nodded.

"Ah…the fiancé, "she said, "Does he know about your habit of eating bad food?"

C.J. looked up in the mirror, frowned and then pulled her brush out of her purse.

"No," she said, "He asked me about it this morning before he left for the airport."

"If he's like my husband," Alex said, "He's probably worried about you and wondering when you're going to tell him everything's all right."

"It is all right," C.J. said, brushing her hair back off of her face.

Alex looked at her and smiled, seeing herself not too long ago. She knew that C.J. would have to find her own way just as she did.

"You've still got about five minutes," she said, "You think you'll be okay?"

C.J. nodded.

"I'll be ready," she said.

"I wouldn't expect anything less," Alex said, "But I'll see if I can buy you a couple extra minutes from the judge."

C.J. smiled.

"Thanks Alex."

* * *

Alex walked into the back entrance of the bank and saw a short line of people waiting for one teller. She looked at her watch and realized that other employees might still be on the lunch breaks. She went to one of the tables to prepare her checks for deposit.

C.J. and her friends walked in through the front way, and walked to another table where C.J. put her water bottle down and began writing on her deposit slips. Fran walked off to look at some advertisements for mortgages hanging on the walls. She always liked a better deal.

Chris just leaned against the table. C.J. looked over at her, concerned.

"Are you okay," she said.

Chris sighed, placing her hand on her chest.

"You try to truck around 50 extra pounds up front and see how you feel."

C.J. smiled.

"Not all of it is baby," she said, "I'm sure Dan appreciates some of that 'weight'"

Chris slapped her arm gently.

"Very funny," she said, "And yes he does."

"So do you think you're ready for raising a baby?"

Chris grew thoughtful.

"As ready as I can ever be," she said, "Actually I can't wait to get it out…and meet him or her."

"That must be the exciting part," C.J. said.

"Yeah, you need something to look forward to, to get through the sleepless nights and…days."

"Chris, if you need any help, just give us a ring."

"I will," she said, "But I'm a little afraid that Fran will kidnap my child. She really loves babies."

"Yes she does."

Chris looked at C.J.

"What about you," she said, "What do you feel about them?"

C.J. grew silent then found some words which caught up with her thoughts.

"I like them fine," she said, "We plan to have kids…eventually."

Chris laughed.

"I know that Matt wants a lot of kids."

C.J. furrowed her brow.

"I'll have several and then he can have the rest."

Chris laughed.

"I'm kidding, no part of me can't wait to have kids with him," C.J. said, "But I've just been doing my new career for about a year and still have a lot to do."

"Having babies isn't going to stop all that," Chris said, "I don't plan to give up working for Houston Enterprises especially since I just got a promotion. It means a lot of planning, mostly."

"Yeah, I think you're right…"

Chris studied her friend.

"Are you all right?"

C.J. put down the pen and smiled.

"Except for the stomach, I feel pretty good."

* * *

Matt drove up to where Brody sat in his car staking out the marina. The two men had spent many an hour putting one or another boat under surveillance. It seemed like a lot of nefarious activities took place at marinas. Perhaps because the big wide ocean offered a formidable and quick avenue for escape. He locked up his car and walked up to Brody's car.

Brody rolled down the window.

"I've been watching this place for about an hour," he said, "I'm not sure this was a good tip."

"Your tips are always good," Matt said, then walked over to get in the passenger side, "Something's going to happen here today."

Brody looked at him, then reached for his Hoagie.

Outside a van rolled up and three men got out of it, carrying duffel bags. Two of them looked at the third one who spoke in a cell phone. They waited until he clicked it off.

"Let's get this job rolling," the man said as his companions nodded.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3--- Another installment of the cross-fiction experiment. I hope you like it. It's fun writing. Thanks for reading and thanks for the feedback!

* * *

Cordell Walker sat at his desk, watching as Sydney held his daughter on her lap. Angela tried to stand up and reach for her earrings with her hand. Sydney laughed and hugged her closer.

"She's so precious, Walker."

"I think so," he said, "She's just started walking and she's getting harder to keep up with. She takes after her mother."

Sydney gave that some thought.

"Oh I don't know about that," she said, smiling.

Gage walked in and pulled up a chair to sit with them. Sydney brightened at the sight of her partner.

"Nice to see you finally show up," she said.

Gage scratched his head.

"Better late than never," he said, "I got caught in a huge traffic jam on the way in today."

Sydney rolled her eyes.

"What was her name?"

Gage looked hurt.

"What makes you think there was a 'her'?"

Sydney sighed then focused on Angela who had grabbed a lock of her thick black hair and yanked it, squealing into laughter each time that Sydney feigned pain and said, "ow".

"Gage, Sydney," Walker started.

They both looked up at him in tandem.

"I called you to this meeting to say congratulations for that recent bust," he said, "I forwarded the contraband to the labs and the street value of the cocaine was over $2 million."

Gage nodded, not surprised at all.

"I knew there were more than suits being cleaned at that place," he said.

"Speaking of which, we found a huge stash of Ben Franklins in that safe," Walker said, "After the case is closed, it will be going into asset forfeiture."

Sydney nodded.

"Okay, so what's next boss?"

Walker paused.

"We need to find if there are more dry cleaning establishments being used to cover for a narcotics ring."

Gage and Sydney looked at each other.

"Okay, there's plenty of other needles in this huge haystack called Dallas to canvass," Gage said, "Then we can pick the ones we flag for further surveillance."

Walker nodded.

"Exactly," he said, "Trivette's returning from his training in Virginia tomorrow so we're going to have to make do without him until then. Think you two can handle it?"

They both nodded.

"I can," Sydney said, "Don't know about Gage here if he keeps getting stuck in…traffic jams."

Gage opened his mouth to protest.

"Would you give it a rest," he said.

Sydney shrugged, as Angela began tugging on her hair again. Walker reached over to take his daughter, while Sydney carefully extricated her hair from Angela's grasp. Sydney's eyes sparkled as she saw how much Angela obviously adored her father.

"She's adorable, isn't she Gage?"

"I'll have to agree with you there," he said, "She's a real beauty…just like her mom."

"You two better get going," Walker said, "We've got to get some intel back quickly on this one."

They both left the office. Walker leaned back in his chair and rubbed his brow. His head throbbed from not having eaten anything since Alex had left that morning. He called the nearby diner to order a steak and onion ring sandwich, drenched in barbecue sauce. Each time he ordered from this new restaurant, he remembered how much he had enjoyed eating lunch at C.D.'s place until the former ranger and Walker's mentor had passed several years ago.

As he waited for lunch, he thought back to his conversation with Alex about having another child. He sighed as he remembered how she so quickly picked up on the hesitation which had laced his voice every time the topic came up. He knew his reluctance hurt her but her first pregnancy had scared him in a way few things did. And even after a miracle had saved Angela's life, he still felt fear for what his wife might face if she tried again.

Still, he loved his daughter and a huge part of him wanted more children but their careers and the challenges that came with, made it very difficult. Twice, Angela had been targeted by kidnappers in her short life and each time, Walker had taken even more steps to keep his family safe. What if it weren't enough? What then?

But Alex always told them they had to live their lives despite the danger, taking precautions of course but not allowing it to dictate their lives. If they didn't, if they surrendered to it, then it controlled their lives, not them. She had told him more than once, she didn't want to live in that kind of prison. Sighing to himself, he knew her words spoke wisdom. That thought brought a smile to his face that erased at least some of his doubts.

* * *

Matt and Brody watched the men through binoculars as they unloaded jewelry from their bags and gave them to the middleman. He thought how brazen can criminals get to conduct their business in broad daylight where anyone walking by could see them.

"Look at that," Brody said, gesturing to them in disgust, "It's moments like this I still wish I were a cop."

Matt focused his attention on the tall man with the earrings.

"That guy," he said, "I've seen him before on another case."

Brody nodded.

"That's Jewel," he said, "He's the top fencer for stolen gems in the city."

"Is the camera picking all this up," Matt asked.

Brody checked.

"Yep," he said, "The whole damn thing. Hoyt's going to fall out of his chair when he sees it."

"I think the day's long past when he surprises that easily," Matt said.

"You could be right," Brody said, taking another bite of his Hoagie, "So you really heading back tonight."

"I'm thinking about it," Matt said, "After all, I did what I came out here to do."

"Matt, we're going to take excellent care of your agency," Brody said, "It's in good hands."

"I know," he said, "And you're still not getting the Mercedes."

Brody shrugged.

"I just think that while C.J.'s sick, I should be there."

"C.J.'s going to be fine," Brody said, "Whatever bit her, it's probably not serious."

Matt watched the three men break up and walk off in separate directions. Brody saw them too and shut off the camera.

"She's just tired," he said, "This case has been really difficult and she's going up against the toughest federal prosecutor in Texas."

"That's not right," Brody said, "All the feds have to do is protect C.J.'s client, right?"

Matt nodded.

"They're just interested in her testimony, not her safety," he said, "Now, why does that sound familiar."

Brody detected a note of anger in his friend's voice.

"Because they messed up with C.J. so badly?"

"I think that's why C.J.'s so protective of Alisha," he said, "and because the girl's pregnant."

Brody shook his head.

"That's a heartbreaking situation," he said, "One reason why I'm glad I'm _not_ a cop."

"Anyway, she's not about to let anything happen to Alisha," Matt said, "And I know her when she gets that stubborn."

"Alisha needs someone like that in her corner."

"A lawyer who's running herself ragged," Matt said.

"Have you ever thought that she might not be sick at all," Brody said.

Matt looked at him.

"What?"

Brody looked at the confusion on Matt's face and then took a big bite of his Hoagie and swallowing it before continuing.

"Have you ever considered that she might be pregnant?"

* * *

C.J. finished filling out her deposit slips. Fran had rejoined them, her hand stuffed with brochures. The three of them walked towards the line to wait for a teller. They didn't notice a man in a dark jacket and glasses walk into the bank, who stopped for a moment to look around. Two others joined him from another entrance.

But Alex saw them, while she walked over towards the same line that C.J. and her friends stood in. She glanced at them warily, her brow knit in thought. They didn't make eye contact with her but turned their heads when she looked in their direction.

"Hey, this line's not too bad," Fran said, "Chris, you holding up okay?"

Chris fanned herself with a brochure.

"It's hot in here, isn't it?"

C.J. frowned.

"Actually, I feel a chill."

Fran shook her head at both of them.

"It's much better than outside for sure," she said.

C.J. turned her head and saw Alex standing behind them.

"I didn't expect to see you here," she said.

Alex smiled.

"This isn't my branch office, but it will do just as well," she said, "It's not too busy today."

"We should be out of here in plenty of time to make it back to court," C.J. said.

Fran narrowed her eyes.

"Is this…"

C.J. turned to look at her friends.

"Yes, this is Alex Cahill-Walker, the prosecutor from the Dallas U.S. Attorney's office," she said, "Alex, these are my friends, Chris and Fran."

Alex extended her hand and they both shook it.

"They both spend a lot of time at the women's crisis center here," C.J. said, "Fran is its director."

Alex raised her brows.

"That's great," she said, "I serve on a board of a women's center back in Dallas. I would really love to hear sometime about your work here."

Fran smiled.

"I'd like that too," she said, "Chris and I are getting ready to start a new project."

"So is our center," Alex said, "We're expanding the domestic violence program."

C.J. smiled as her friends talked with Alex. The line moved slowly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a man wearing shades standing by one of the exits. She wondered if he were the security guard but he didn't appear to be wearing a uniform.

She thought back to yesterday morning.

* * *

Matt zipped up his suitcase and carried it to the doorway next to his carry on. C.J. sat on the bed slipping on her shoes. She sighed as she stood up and walked in the bathroom to fix her hair. She brushed out her damp curls and pulled them behind her. She put two small clips in her hair and brushed her soft bangs. She wished her face didn't look so pale.

In the reflection, she saw Matt walk up behind her.

"You know if you really need me to stay home, I will," he said, placing his hands on her shoulders and bringing her close so that his chin brushed the top of her head. She turned her head around to look at him.

"No, I'll be fine," she said, "This bug or flu or whatever it is will pass and I'll be much better when you get back."

"C.J., you're tired and you've been tired for a while," he said, "You need to get some more rest."

She tensed.

"I will get rest," she said, "this weekend."

He wrapped his arms around her from behind again and kissed her head.

"We have that conference," he said.

"So, we'll hit the important seminars and call in sick for the rest like we usually do."

He smiled.

"I like the sound of that."

"So do I," she said, then looked at her watch, "I've got to get going."

She turned around and wrapped her arms around him, taking in his scent. He embraced her and they kissed goodbye. She held onto him, realizing that she didn't want to let go. Her body molded into his and she closed her eyes, wishing for a long moment that he wouldn't leave.

The moment passed, and she knew she had to let him go. After all, he would only be gone for a couple of days at moment and then he'd return home.

He released her, smoothing her hair back and she picked up her briefcase and purse. She looked at him for a moment, then she picked up her briefcase and her purse and walked out the front door.

* * *

"What the hell are you talking about," Matt said.

Brody looked at his friend, bemused not surprised by his reaction.

"I'm just saying it's a possibility among others."

Matt frowned.

"She would have told me."

Brody shrugged.

"If she knew."

Matt felt different emotions swirling through him, all at one time. He struggled for control.

"Well, she's been throwing up for several days," he said, "and she's been tired for longer than that."

Brody raised his brows.

"Any mood swings?"

Matt thought for a moment.

"Maybe a little," he said, "which isn't like her."

Brody watched Matt's face, as disbelief began to slowly be replaced by wonder.

"I wonder if she really is pregnant," he said, "We took precautions."

"They don't always work," Brody said, "If they did, I wouldn't have my youngest Louisa."

Matt scratched his head but didn't say anything.

"Are you okay, dude," Brody asked, "Am I going to need the smelling salts?"

Matt gave him a stern look.

"Look, I have gone through this eight times," Brody said, "I know the signs and it just seems that C.J. might be experiencing some of them, but that doesn't mean she's having a baby. So what you need to do is when you get done here and get on your plane and fly home, you need to talk with her about what's going on and listen to what she says."

Matt nodded.

"Because if you don't," Brody said, "I'm going to kick your ass to start with because C.J. is my good friend and she deserves nothing less than a man who's going to do the right thing…"

"We're engaged," Matt said, "In fact, I was going to ask her to move the date up because December's too far away."

Brody studied Matt with a critical eye.

"That's good for a start," he said, "But that's not what I'm talking about here."

Matt's mind began to work again.

"I love her and I'll do whatever she needs or wants me to do," he said.

"It's going to take more than that, my friend," Brody said, "Women in this condition always go a little bit…crazy sometimes. Their emotions might be all over the place and that can be difficult on the guy."

"Not C.J.," Matt said, "She's the most level-headed person I know."

Brody almost pitied his friend who obviously had a lot to learn.

"My wife is the most level-headed woman that I ever met," he said, "And even she wasn't immune."

"We both really want children," Matt said, "But we're both so busy we always thought it would be a little later on…in the future."

"Children don't always come according to schedule," Brody said, sagely, "There's always the element of surprise and it never goes away."

Matt narrowed his eyes.

"Where did you get all this information?"

Brody put his hand on Matt's shoulder.

"Experience is the best teacher, buddy," Brody said, "But before you jump the gun on this, maybe you'd better wait until you know for sure."

Matt nodded.

"I'm definitely flying home tonight."

* * *

C.J. and her friends talked with Alex as they progressed through the line. Both she and Alex wisely kept anything to do with their upcoming federal hearing off-limits which gave them plenty to talk about. Fran and Chris had gone to find a bathroom, with Chris cursing her bladder as they walked away.

"How are you feeling," Alex asked.

"Better, I think."

"I hope you didn't think I was out of line with what I said yesterday," Alex said.

C.J. shook her head.

"No you weren't," she said, "I thought about what you said about the…halibut."

"Oh that," Alex smiled, "I just remember when I was pregnant with my daughter, Angela, I spent most of my first three months in courthouse bathrooms during recess."

C.J. sighed.

"You were actually right," she said, "I got the pink line."

Alex nodded.

"How many pink lines did it take before you finally accepted it?"

C.J. smiled, sheepishly.

"Oh about four," she said, "And the fifth and sixth one were just to make sure."

Alex laughed.

"You sound just like me," she said, "I ran to the drug store and bought every test in the place. I just didn't believe it could be possible. I never saw myself as a mother, just as a ball busting lawyer."

"Me too," she said, "I'm engaged to a guy I love more than anything but this is a bit of a surprise."

Alex raised her brows.

"A surprise?"

"No, more like a shock," C.J. said, "We just got our new firm off the ground. He's back in L.A. handing off management of his investigation agency to his partners."

"That's Matt, isn't it?"

"Matt Houston," C.J. said, "Oh that's right, you met him during that trial years ago. We weren't together then. It's more of a recent thing."

"That's great," Alex said, "And I'm sure he'll be thrilled and you'll grow a little more used to the idea."

C.J. smiled.

"I'm actually really happy about this," she said, hugging herself, "I want this baby more than I've ever wanted anything."

"And your fiancé?"

C.J. fingered her necklace.

"He doesn't know yet," she said, "I haven't had the chance to tell him. I want to do it in person when he gets back."

Alex patted her on the shoulder.

"That's the best way," she said, "And don't worry if you're nervous, I was when I told Cordell."

C.J.'s jaw dropped.

"You married him?"

Alex grinned.

"Yes, we did get our act together eventually and it's been the best time of my life"

C.J. smiled.

"I'm happy for you."

* * *

Walker got off the phone with Gage who had slipped out of the surveillance van to take a closer look at what appeared to be an abandoned building that once housed a dry cleaning business.

"So what did you find?"

"Nothing," Gage said, "It looks empty, like no one's been there for a while."

"We need to find who has the property deed and then do a search anyway to see if anything got left behind."

"Sydney's working on that right now," Gage said, "Anything else? It's my turn to buy coffee."

Walker laughed.

"No, I'll let you go," he said, "I'll put this one on the map as a 'possible search' and call me back if something develops."

"Will do."

Walker clicked off his cell phone and got back on the computer. Angela slept in the daycare facility two floors below him. He had dropped her off when she began to nod off but planned to pick her up and leave early to take her on a picnic in the park.

Suddenly, a man dressed in a ranger uniform walked in with a fax. He handed it to Walker who looked at it. On it, was a man, with piercing dark eyes and brown hair who looked defiantly at the camera.

"What's this?"

"That's Duke Johnson," the man said, "He's a convicted bank robber, drug dealer and suspected gun runner. He was doing 50 years in the federal prison but he broke out last night."

Walker studied the picture.

"And we're just being notified about this now?"

The ranger sighed.

"The alert system experienced a delay," he said, "The FBI believes that he'll hook up as soon as possible with his old crew and get back in business."

"Did the local agencies run an APB?"

The ranger nodded.

"But no hits so far," he said, "He could be anywhere."

Walker nodded.

"We'd better set up a team from our office and send out a full-scale alert."

The ranger left the office to do that.

* * *

Matt sat in the car in the parking lot while Brody went to get some burgers from the fast food joint. He closed his eyes trying to process the idea that he might be a father. He found it difficult to wrap himself around that concept but the thought excited him. Matt had always dreamed of having children but never imagined he would be sharing that with C.J. Sure he had had hoped for that sometimes during a quiet moment here and there but never thought that's how life would turn out. He wondered how she was feeling and decided to give her a call to make sure she was okay. They had talked earlier that morning and she had still felt ill.

Checking his watch, he mentally calculated what time it would be in Houston. He realized she would still be on her lunch break and if he called now, he might just catch her before she returned to court for the afternoon.

C.J.'s phone rang and she saw Matt on the Caller ID.

"Houston."

"Hi there, I'm just checking to see if you're feeling any better."

"Yes I am," she said, "We're in line at a bank but I'm due back in court soon. Alex is here with me."

"How's that going," he asked.

"She's really nice," she said, looking at Alex, "Much nicer outside the courtroom."

"That's good," he said, "Listen, I'm flying back home tonight."

"So you're done?"

"Yeah, just finished up the paperwork and was out on the stakeout with Brody."

"How's he doing?"

"Great," he said, "He asked about you."

"Give him a kiss for me," she said,"And there's one for you too."

"I really miss you," he said, "I can't wait to get home."

"I'll keep the light on," she said, Listen, I'm almost up to the teller."

"I'll let you go," he said, "I'll see you later and…I love you."

Tears threatened in C.J.'s eyes as she held onto the phone listening to his voice. She wanted him here with her, not over a thousand miles away.

"I love…"

Suddenly, Matt heard crashing noises in the background, loud voices and screams. He looked at his phone, not knowing what was happening as fear chilled his heart.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4--The latest installment of this story has just been posted. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading!

* * *

Matt stood frozen with his cell phone in his hand, listening to noises in the background, his heart racing. Brody returned to the car with their food.

"I got the …."

Matt raised his hand and Brody stopped talking after seeing the expression on his friend's face. They both listened as witnesses to the horror unfolding over 1,000 miles away.

* * *

C.J. and Alex looked up as they saw the men they noticed earlier who had been dressed in dark clothes and wearing shades whip out their guns and start running up to the tellers. When people in the bank saw the weapons, some froze and the others started heading for the exits, colliding with one another. One man raised his gun up.

"On the floor everyone," he said, "Or we will shoot you."

C.J. didn't need to be told twice and neither did Alex. They both dropped on the ground, though C.J. tried to look around for her friends who hadn't returned yet from the bathroom. Alex looked around, keeping an eye on the men who were pointing weapons at them and also at the tellers ordering them to hand over the money from their drawers. Alex knew that the smartest action to take was to not resist them in any way, just to let them get the money and leave. If the police arrived before that happened, then the robbers might start to take hostages. She prayed that the employees would wait until the robbers had left before pushing the panic button.

Out of the corner of her eye, C.J. saw one of the men threatening two female tellers, telling them that he wanted more money then demanding to be led to the vaults. The woman just looked at him, saying that they didn't have access which did little to placate the agitated men.

C.J. closed her eyes as she saw the leather shoes of one of the robbers walk past her. Any minute, she wondered if she would feel a bullet searing through her and then fall into darkness forever. She shook her head to clear it of anything but a positive outcome. More than one life depended on it. When the footsteps faded, she opened her eyes and saw movement out of the corner of them. She lifted her head slightly and saw Chris and Fran leave the bathroom, freeze suddenly.

_Go into the office, she yelled inside her head, go in and hide_.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Fran grab Chris' arm and pull her inside one of the offices.

* * *

Matt heard screams and people moving, furniture crashing and the man threatening to shoot people if they didn't drop on the floor. Then he heard nothing. The phone had lost its connection.

"What the hell," Brody said.

"They were inside a bank," Matt said, "standing in line."

"It sounds like a robbery," Brody said, "I handled some myself when I worked that division as a cop."

"Oh my god," Matt said, still looking at his silent phone.

"They'll be okay if the robbers get their loot and get on out of there," Brody said, "But if someone activated an alarm…"

"Then the police will come and the robbers will be trapped inside and start taking hostages."

Brody nodded.

"Those hostages will be their only bargaining chip they have to use to get out of there."

Matt ran his hand through his hair.

"I wonder what bank it is," he said, "C.J. must have an account there. She was on her lunch break."

"Did she go there alone," Brody asked.

"No, she mentioned being with others but except for Alex Cahill-Walker the federal prosecutor, she didn't mention who they were."

"Oh man," Brody said, "We'd better find out what's going on in Houston."

"We'll go back to the office," Matt said.

Brody jumped into the car and they drove off, burning rubber.

* * *

Walker looked at the photo of Duke Johnson that was taken when he'd been arrested for a series of bank robberies several years ago. Despite his workload, he found himself picking up the photo and looking at it again. He hadn't run across Johnson personally but had followed the case when it went to trial and a jury had convicted Johnson of crimes that guaranteed that he would never walk out of prison in his lifetime.

Of course, a lot of good that did when men like Johnson were able to circumvent the security measures of prison facilities and escape, only to pick up where they had left off as if there had been no interim between their crime sprees.

Walker knew that Alex especially despised career criminals like bank robbers. As a prosecutor, she had tired of working hard to build cases against repeat offenders to put them away, only to see them either escape from prison or to be slapped on the wrists. She had walked away from the high trajectory course of her career at the District Attorney's office to switch to prosecuting federal criminal defendants for that reason.

A ranger rushed in his office.

"What is it," Walker asked.

"There's some indication that Duke Johnson might be heading to Houston with his crew," the ranger said.

"How do they know?"

"Most of his crew are local," the ranger said, "And we've been watching them since he escaped."

"And they're getting their gear together…"

The ranger nodded.

"They definitely are acting like they're planning some sort of reunion."

Walker sighed, then reached for his phone.

"We need to get together a team and head to Houston," he said, "I'll be leading it."

"Yes sir," the ranger said, then left the room.

* * *

One man holding a gun on two tellers pushed them towards the office where another had cornered the bank manager. C.J. lifted her head slightly again, watching their movement. Alex watched her.

"Are you okay?"

C.J. turned to look at Alex who had lifted her head up and had seen two of the robbers lead what appeared to be the bank manager away at gun point.

"I'm fine," she whispered, "I'm worried about my friends."

"How many do you think there are?"

"I don't know," she said, "three or four different voices, maybe."

They fell into silence, hearing footsteps walk near them.

"Stay on the ground and no talking," a voice came from above them, "Your part in all this will be over soon."

C.J. pressed the side of her face against the carpet, willing her heart beat to slow down. She looked across the room to see other people including a young woman trying to keep her toddler quiet. A security guard with his gun out remained crouched just barely in her line of sight. She carried her own gun with her at all times. She didn't know about Alex. But she knew this wasn't the time to pull out a weapon.

Alex willed herself to remain totally still. She had been in hostage situations before usually as a consequence of her former position as a county prosecutor and she knew the drill. Still, each experience had scared her. You just never got used to it.

* * *

Alex sat in the police station waiting for her husband. The man who had tried to kidnap her from the parking lot sat in an interrogation room in handcuffs, awaiting the detectives to take a crack at him. She put her head in hands and sighed. How many times had she been in this situation? Fortunately, the man hadn't hurt her. This time, her kidnapper had worked in the District Attorney's office and had developed an unhealthy attraction her which evidently crossed the line into obsession. That obsession naturally led to the attempted kidnapping.

She heard boot heels clicking on the floor and looked up to see Walker walk into the room, concern etched on his face. She stood up, although her legs still felt like jelly and fell into his embrace.

"Alex, thank God, when I heard…"

She willed herself to smile.

"Hey Walker, I'm okay now," she said, pointing to the office, "They caught Harold Peterson and they're about to question him."

He looked in the direction of the office.

"What happened?"

She ran her hand through her hair.

"You know how I was receiving flowers and notes, right and didn't know who sent them?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I had told him to stop sending me things and he got really quiet and then just walked out of my office. I thought everything was fine and he understood what I said."

"But it just made him angry and even more determined," Walker said, quietly.

She nodded.

"I was going to the parking lot to go on some errands and he jumped me from behind," she said, "He tried to knock me out with chloroform but I got away."

"Who called the police?"

"The parking guard did," she said, "They came out and found him hiding in the garage. They searched his car and found…things that were evidence of his plans. "

He hugged her again.

"I'm so sorry that this happened," he said.

She looked at him.

"It's not your fault," she said, "This guy clearly has some mental issues. We never said more than two words in passing at work."

That still didn't placate him. She knew that there would be more discussions to come about her employers taking more security precautions at work but even so, not all the dangers of the world could be prevented. Life still threw curve balls at you and often the best you could do was to just cope with them the best you could and still live your life.

Alex lay on the ground, trying to assess the chaotic situation around her, remembering those words.

* * *

Matt and Brody headed off the elevator into the penthouse suite and ran into Roy who sat on the couch reading a magazine. Roy looked up to greet them then saw the expressions on their face.

"What happened?"

"Something's happened to C.J. in Houston," Matt said, "It sounded like some kind of robbery at the place she was at."

"There's been no news about anything on the internet or radio for that matter about any major event," Roy said.

Matt went to turn on the television that sat near the bar but saw only daytime serials and game shows on any of the stations.

"How do you know anything happened?"

Matt sat down on the couch.

"I was on the phone to C.J. when I heard a lot of background noise," he said, "People screaming, things crashing and a male voice ordering everyone on the floor."

"Was she at a bank?"

Matt nodded.

"She was in line with that federal prosecutor and maybe some friends," Matt said, "She was just telling me…"

Roy looked at him.

"That she loved you," he said, nodding, "Sounds like a bank robbery or some other emergency."

"I've got to find out which bank she's at."

"Matlock, she's going to be okay," Roy said, "She knows how to take care of herself."

"She wasn't feeling well this morning," Matt said, "She's been feeling sick lately. I didn't even want her to go to work today."

"Obviously, she felt like she was able to work," Roy said.

"Hopefully if it's a bank robbery, the perpetrators will get in and out quickly with what they want and then the police can deal with them."

"Yeah but in the meantime…"

"I know, but we have no idea what's going on so we shouldn't jump to conclusions," he said, "We could call the FBI and report what you heard over the phone."

"I'll do that," Matt jumped off the couch, "on my way to the airport."

Roy and Brody looked at each other. Neither was surprised by his actions.

"So you're going," Brody said, "Do you want company?"

"No, you stay here with Roy and try to find out what's going on from this end," he said, "I'll keep in touch."

"I'll take you to the airport," Brody said.

Matt nodded, taking out his cell phone.

"I'll call the airport to tell them I need my jet ready and file an emergency flight plan."

Matt and Brody left the penthouse.

* * *

C.J. watched the activity around her very carefully as experience and training had taught her to do. Two men stood right next to her.

"How much do you think is in the safe?"

"Millions," the other man said, "That's where all the real money is."

"We cased this place pretty good while you're locked up but you sure didn't waste any time hitting it."

The other man frowned.

"I've wasted enough time sitting around in that damn cell," he said, "I want the world to know the Duke is back."

Another guy ran up to them.

"He's taking the money out the back way and putting it in the vehicle," he said, "We hit the mother lode."

Duke nodded.

"As soon as that's done, we best get out of Dodge and go to the safe house."

The other men nodded and walked away.

C.J. digested the information she had just heard, forcing her mind to accept it and file it away. She placed her head back down and closed her eyes, waiting for the footsteps to recede and for silence to replace them.

C.J. unlocked the door to the office at the Houston corporate headquarters. She looked at her watch knowing she was late to a meeting on the other side of town, but she had left items in her office that she needed for the meeting. Her car had struggled to stay on the street, and she had listened to the weather forecast about the hurricane that was bearing down on the Gulf Coast, at Category Three strength. The man talking on the radio didn't think Houston would get a direct hit, but hurricanes were notorious for being unpredictable and for shifting their courses at the last minute before hitting land.

The rain had started falling when she left her car and approached the building from the side entrance. Her umbrella blew out of her hands and tumbled down the street so she tried to shield herself from the downpour. She had been soaked by the time she entered the side stairwell. She climbed up nearly a dozen floors, not wanting to risk getting trapped in the elevator if the power went out and when she reached the right floor, she sighed in relief. She unlocked the office door with her key.

She looked around the office as the lights flickered. She hoped the power wouldn't go out before Hurricane Grace even arrived. Even though she was in a high-rise building, she stayed away from the windows. She found what she needed and walked out into the hallway. She made it back downstairs and opened the door. She stepped outside and then retreated when she saw how windy it had become in just a few minutes. A wall of water falling from the sky met her.

She sighed and decided to return to the office, realizing the moment for heading back to higher ground had passed. She knew the building was quite fortified against even Category Five hurricanes but she didn't fancy being stranded in an office building for several days. Still, she knew she didn't have much choice. She started removing her outer layer of clothing, her coat and her shoes.

She waited for a while in the office, then heard footsteps coming down the hall. She knew she'd locked the building up tight and opened the door cautiously. Her eyes widened.

"What are you doing here," she said.

The figure turned around.

* * *

Matt and Brody had arrived at the airport and parked in a lot near the area where private aircraft were parked. They got out of the car and walked to the hanger where Matt kept his Lear Jet. A mechanic came up to him.

"I've been getting it ready," he said, "But it's going to be about 30 minutes."

Matt nodded and opened the door, boarding the jet. He and Brody walked into the flight deck where Matt sat and ran checks on his instruments. Brody watched him.

"Are you sure you don't need company?"

Matt looked at his former partner then relented.

"Okay, but the plane leaves in 30 minutes."

"I have everything I need," Brody said, "I always travel light."

Matt turned back to his instruments.

* * *

C.J. kept her face on the ground as did Alex, as the robbers moved around them. Suddenly, C.J. lifted her head slightly, hearing sirens in the distance. Alex noticed them as well and she looked at C.J. Both of them knew what that meant. The robbers froze in their tracks, listening to the sirens as well. One of them took his gun out and ran up to one of the tellers.

"Did you hit the panic button," he said.

She just looked back at him mutely. He stomped away and walked back to Duke who didn't appear that upset.

"The cops are coming," one man said.

"We knew that this was probably going to happen," Duke said, "We've got plenty of hostages here to keep them busy getting us what we want."

The other men nodded. Duke and one of the robbers went up to the front window and moved the curtain and saw squad cars, lights flashing pull into the parking lot. Officers jumped out of their cars and took cover behind them, communicating back and forth. One officers with stripes, a sergeant, talked in a radio.

Duke turned around to address the people on the floor.

"All right folks," he said, "It looks like we're all going to hang out together a bit longer than we had planned. If you keep quiet, you won't be harmed."

C.J. looked out of the corner of her eye and saw the security guard she had seen hiding earlier, inch closer with his gun drawn. He moved closer and took cover behind a potted tree. She prayed that he wouldn't try to play hero.

Her prayers were wasted.

The security guard stepped out from behind the plant with his gun drawn but before he could say anything, Duke caught his movement, aimed his gun and took down the guard in one shot. C.J.'s eyes widened as she saw a crimson pool surround the man. She thought the bullet had killed him until she saw movement. Duke saw it too and walked over until he stood over the man.

"You still stirring, old man," Duke said, "You in a lot of pain? I got a cure for that."

C.J. closed her eyes at what she knew was coming and kept them closed as another shot rang out. She opened her eyes and saw that the guard didn't move anymore but lay back with his eyes frozen open.

Duke walked back and addressed the people lying on the ground.

"That could happen to any of you," he said, "If you don't do exactly as we tell you."

One robber, a tall guy with a shock of blonde hair poking out from beneath his cap ran up.

"Boss, there's a whole posse setting up in the parking lot," he said.

"That might work to our advantage, Harley," Duke said, "We're holding all the cards here."

After Alex had heard the gunshot that ended the life of the guard, her heart had nearly stopped. She had prosecuted enough bank robbery cases to know that once the killing started, it didn't stop especially now that the police had responded. Now, the bank robbers were trapped with their hostages inside the bank and would be using them as bartering chips to extricate themselves out of their own mess.

She looked at C.J. who still lay there, quietly as they both waited to see what happened next.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5--I got the latest installment of the cross-fiction completed! I hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading and for your feedback! It's pretty fun and interesting to try to mesh two different sets of characters together.

* * *

C.J. looked at the figure standing in the hallway inside the building.

"Houston, what are you doing here," she said, "You scared me."

"I could ask you the same thing."

He stood there, soaking wet as she had been and blood dripped down his face.

"What happened to you," she said, thinking quickly, "I think there's a first aid kit in the break room."

"Something hit me in the head when I left my car," he said, "The wind is really blowing out there."

They walked together into the break room, to look for the kit and found it in a cabinet next to the mini-frig. She pulled it out and looked for some gauze to stanch the bleeding.

"It's just a little cut," Matt said, "Nothing to worry about. Head wounds always look worse than they are."

"Be still," she said, placing the gauze against his face, "It's right in your hairline."

He took the gauze from her to press on his face and their hands brushed.

"What are you doing here, C.J.?"

"What do you mean," she said, "I'm just here to pick up some things from the office."

"You're supposed to be at a meeting on higher ground," he said, "not in the path of a hurricane."

"Look at us Houston," she said, "We're at least 100 or more feet above the ground. That's high enough."

"You've got a point," he said, gently removing the gauze from his head.

"Keep it there," she said, "You'll start the bleeding again."

He looked around them at the breakroom.

"It looks like we're stuck here for a day or so," he said, "If Hurricane Grace makes a direct hit on Houston, maybe longer."

"It could be worse Houston," she said, "We could be out there."

He nodded then brightened.

"It could be better," he said, "We could be in the CEO suite upstairs."

"You have the security key," she asked.

"It's on my key ring," he said, pulling it out, "I am still the CEO after all at least on paper. The building's got a backup generator if the power goes out and it's stocked with food. Maybe dry clothes."

She nodded.

"That sounds like a plan," she said, "So should we tackle the stairwell?"

He took the gauze pad off his head and tossed it in the trash.

"Let's go," he said, taking her hand.

* * *

C.J. still lay on the floor, as she had for almost an hour. Her body ached and her legs felt cramped. She saw that Alex lay still as well although other people were beginning to fidget. Every few minutes, the robbers led by Duke yelled at them to remain still or else. She knew that she needed to remain calm so she passed the time by traveling through her memories. The day that Hurricane Grace had struck Houston surfaced first. She didn't question herself why but let the memories flow.

She heard sounds from outside the building but the walls muffled them somewhat. She knew the police had arrived and that the bank robbery had turned into a standoff between the robbers and the police, with the hostages caught in the middle. She had awakened that morning a lawyer getting ready for a hearing in federal court. Now hours later, she had become nothing more than a bargaining chip, her value decided by others. She only hoped that her nausea wouldn't return.

"Get up, all of you," one of the robbers said, "Come on, this isn't a health spa."

After lying down for so long, C.J. and Alex found it difficult to stand, but they helped each other on their feet. The robbers pointed their guns at their dozen hostages. C.J. looked up and her heart sank as she saw another robber leading Chris and Fran out of an office at gunpoint. They looked at C.J. and smiled.

"We're all going to be here a while, so we'll be separating you into two groups by gender," Duke said.

The robbers led the women off into the office where Fran and Chris had hid. Walking into it, they looked around at the desk that stood in the corner and the pictures on the walls. C.J. and Fran helped Chris sit in one of the chairs.

"Are you okay Chris," C.J. said.

Chris nodded.

"We'll see if we can get you some water," Fran said.

"What if we need to use the restroom," Alex said, noticing that the young woman with the toddler had joined them.

"It's just outside the door," one robber said, "But no funny stuff. We'll be watching closely."

He looked around one last time and then left the office, slamming the door behind him.

The women looked at each other, trying to remain calm as they began to sit down on the floor.

* * *

After takeoff, Matt had placed his jet on autopilot and then spent some of the time trying to find out if there were any news releases about any major incident in Houston. Brody sat in the co-pilot seat eating a Hoagie.

"So what's the news," he said.

"The First Lone Star Bank was robbed around one pm," Matt said, "They don't know how many robbers were involved or how many hostages are inside the bank."

Brody shook his head.

"The teller must have pushed the panic button," he said, "So now it's going to be a battle of wills between the bad guys and the good guys."

"With C.J. and the others caught in between them."

"Look, C.J.'s a level-headed woman who knows how to handle herself in a crisis," Brody said, "She's a good person to have in that situation to keep everyone else alive."

"I don't want her in that situation," Matt said, "I want her safe."

"She's not going to endanger herself," Brody said, "She's going to be calm and probably spend most of her time making sure everyone else is okay."

Matt nodded.

"That sounds like her."

"Just have some faith," Brody said, "how long until we get there?"

Matt looked at his watch.

"About two hours."

* * *

Walker's helicopter landed at Houston International Airport and he and his team jumped into a waiting van to drive to the command station that had been set up in a parking lot across the street from the bank.

During the flight, he had received notification that Duke and his band had hit a bank and were holding an unknown number of hostages. When Walker had asked how many bank robbers were involved, the Houston Police Department lieutenant on the phone said he didn't know.

Once the helicopter touched the pad, Walker had jumped out and now, driving through Houston's congested streets, he tried to envision a possible blue print for the bank from information he had received from the police. Another team member patched into getting information about the communications between the different responding law enforcement agencies.

Sydney who had left the narcotics operation to join Walker on his team sat next to him in the van.

"Who's going to pick up Angela?"

"Alex's friend, Susie's agreed to watch her until Alex gets back to Dallas."

"When's the rest of the team coming," she asked.

"Gage's bringing them here before 1900."

Sydney nodded.

"Does Alex know you're here?"

Walker shook his head.

"I should probably give her a call while I have time," he said, "She'll probably be back in court but maybe I can reach her at least to leave a message."

He took out his cell and punched in her number. He listened to the phone ring on the other end.

* * *

Alex heard a phone ring and looked around for its source. The other women did the same, before Alex realized it came from her own phone and she opened it. She hoped that none of the robbers had heard the sound, that the officer door and walls had muffled it.

"Hello," she whispered.

"Alex is that you," Walker said.

She looked on her Caller ID and saw her husband's cell phone number.

"Is that really you, Walker?"

"Sure is," he said, "Is everything all right?"

"Oh my god," she said, "No it's not. There's a bunch of us trapped in a bank with four men who came in with guns to rob it."

Silence on the other end of the phone.

"Walker, are you still there?"

"Yes, wait a minute, are you telling me that you're inside the First Lone Star Bank?"

"Yes, I came here to drop off some checks," she said, "I'm here with C.J. Parsons, the lawyer I've been going up against. She and I and about a dozen people total are being held hostage."

Walker closed his eyes a second to remain in control of the situation.

"Okay Alex, you're going to have to be calm," he said, "I'm in Houston right now to respond to this robbery. The guy who's leading the others broke out of prison yesterday."

"His name is Duke," she said, "And there's one guy named…Harley. I don't know about the rest."

"Okay, that's Duke Johnson, the guy who escaped and Harley Davis, like the motorcycle, he's a known accomplice of Duke's."

"Yes, I wish I knew more," she said, "I'm glad you're here."

"I've got to go Alex," Walker said, "But it's going to be okay. Tell the people you're with we're coming up with a rescue plan so they need to sit tight."

"I will," she said, "I love you, Walker."

"I love you too," he said, then hung up.

* * *

Sydney looked into his face and didn't like what she saw.

"It's Alex isn't it," she said, "Somehow she ended up caught in the middle of this situation."

Walker just nodded.

* * *

Alex looked up at the other women.

"That was my husband," she said, "He's in Houston right now to help law enforcement."

C.J.'s eyes widened.

"How did he get here so quickly?"

"Duke Johnson, a convicted bank robber broke out of prison," Alex said, "He reconnected with his group and they came here to rob this bank."

A woman covered her mouth with her hand.

"They're going to kill us," she said.

C.J. put a hand on her shoulder.

"No, they need us alive to negotiate with the police," she said, "What's your name?"

"Missy," the woman said, "and this is my daughter Amanda."

The other women introduced themselves.

"Do you really think we'll be okay?"

"Outside, there's a whole team of police officers working very hard to make sure of that," Alex said, "My husband is one of them."

C.J stood up and walked over to Chris and Fran.

"How're you doing," she asked.

Both women looked at her.

"I'm cool," Fran said, "We tried to hide in the office but they found us."

"I'm too large to hide well," Chris said, with a sigh, "The baby's moving a lot but otherwise, I'm okay."

"I guess we've got to play it cool for a while," C.J. said.

"How are you doing," Chris said, "Still feeling sick?"

"No," C.J. said, "I'm feeling fine. Thank goodness for small favors."

"Do you think that the police being here makes it better or worse," Fran said.

C.J. shrugged.

"I don't know," she said, "I guess we won't know for a while."

Alex walked over to them.

"How's she doing," she said, looking at Chris.

"It would help if we could get her some water," C.J. said.

"Maybe there's some in this office," Alex said and began looking into drawers and cabinets.

Chris put her hands over her face.

"I do feel a bit funny," she said.

Everyone turned to look at her.

"Not bad," she corrected, "Just a bit strange."

Fran looked at Chris.

"Just don't tell me you're going to pop that kid out in the middle of a bank robbery."

Chris rolled her eyes.

"Okay, I won't," she said, "Do you think I would want that to happen?"

Fran looked doubtful.

"Sometimes there's not much warning," she said, "I practically had my twins in the waiting room of the damn hospital waiting for a doctor."

"That's definitely not happening to me," Chris said, holding her stomach, "I'm having him at the hospital with my husband, my doctor, a full team and plenty of ice chips and epidural."

Alex smiled.

"That's what I wanted to happen with Angela," she said, "But fate had other plans."

* * *

Alex packed up her things on her hospital bed as Walker signed the paperwork so that they could bring their daughter home at last. Despite early complications, Angela had thrived in the past week or so while Alex herself recovered. Her husband spent most of his free time with his family and despite the setting, the time spent together had been most special.

But now the time had come to leave and to go home where their friends were ready to greet them and celebrate the arrival of the newest Walker who had battled tremendous odds to come into the world in true Texas style.

"All done," Walker said, as he came into the room.

She looked up at her husband.

"Good," she said, "I'll be so glad to get out of here."

"I know, but it's only a few minutes longer until we can take Angela home."

She smiled.

"I'm so excited," she said, "I thought this day would never come."

"I wasn't sure we'd get here either, but we did honey," he said, "And we've got our daughter now and a whole life ahead of us."

* * *

In the midst of the chaos surrounding him, Walker thought about the day his daughter was born. He flashed himself back to his earlier conversation with Alex about having more children. The truth was, the idea scared him. It terrified a man who was scared by few things because of situations like the one unfolding right now. Only this time, his wife had made a decision to walk into a bank to do business like people did every day and minutes later, a man his office had been hunting walked in with his posse to rob it.

Now they had hostages and the police and Walker's team were forced to sit back and wait. Sydney walked up to him.

"I called Gage again," she said, "He and the rest of the team are en route."

Walker nodded.

"We're going to need everyone we can get on this one."

She put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's going to work out Walker," she said, "It always does."

"This time might just be the time it doesn't," he said, "Every step taking has to be well planned and perfectly executed from this point out or innocent people are going to die."

* * *

C.J. walked around the office and finally found a stash of bottled water and bags of pretzels in one of the cabinets. She took some water back to Chris and some pretzels for herself in case her stomach acted up again. She sat down next to her friends.

"God, I'd kill for some anchovies," she said, trying to smile.

Chris groaned.

"Not that again," she said, "Do you even like those disgusting little things?"

C.J. gave it some careful thought.

"They're okay," she said, "But I sure would love some right now. "

"Maybe they'll let us order some pizza," she said, "then a police officer will disguise himself as the delivery person."

C.J. and Fran looked at her. Chris shrugged.

"That's how it works out on television," she said.

"C.J., your anchovies craving is the strangest thing," Fran said, "Maybe you should have it checked out."

"Maybe…"

C.J. got up and walked back to Alex.

"So your husband is really out there with the police," she asked.

Alex nodded.

"He's a pro at dealing with situations like this," she said, "Since Duke Johnson is a federal prisoner who escaped, that gives his office some jurisdiction."

"I'm worried about Chris," C.J. said, "She doesn't look very good."

Alex looked over at her.

"When is she due?"

"About two weeks, I think."

"We'll have to keep an eye on her," Alex said, "Sometimes stressful situations like this can trigger premature labor. Experience taught me that."

"That's good to know," C.J. said, dryly, "Seeing as we're no where near a hospital. I wonder if there's even a doctor among us."

"She'll probably be fine," Alex said, "And if anything does happen, she has all of us here to help her."

C.J. smiled.

"She's lucky in that regard," she said, "I can't even imagine what that'll be like."

Alex put her hand on her shoulder.

"You're still just starting the puking phase," she said, "You've got a lot to look forward ahead of you before you even have to worry."

C.J. widened her eyes.

"I know," she said, "I'm still getting used to the idea."

"Walker and I talked about having another child," Alex said, "But he's not sure about it right now."

"He's got misgivings?"

Alex sighed.

"It was so difficult with Angela," she said, "She almost died. I almost died. Hell, Walker almost got killed by a man who had a grudge against him. All of this at the same time."

"Sounds really difficult," C.J. said, "But I understand that all too well."

Alex looked at her.

"I read about everything you went through a couple of years ago," she said, "It must have been very difficult."

C.J. looked away.

"It was the hardest thing to deal with in my life," she said, "But I was lucky to have my closest friends along with me every step of the way."

Alex smiled.

"Including your fiancé."

C.J nodded.

"I wouldn't have made it through without him," she said, "He never gave up on me…on us. That was before I even knew there an 'us'."

"So you have a date planned?"

"Yeah, in December," C.J. said, "though this latest development complicates things a bit. I wonder how he's going to take it."

"I'm guessing he'll be thrilled," Alex said, "and very proud of himself."

C. J. just hoped she would have a chance to tell him and see for herself.

* * *

They walked up the stairwell amid the flickering lights and their own footsteps echoing behind them.

"How many more flights is it?"

"I'm not really sure," Matt said, "I've only been up here several times since the renovation."

She looked over at him.

"So why have it built at all?"

"Actually, that was Murray's idea," he said, "In case, we had to host dignitaries for business reasons. He thought it would be more convenient for them and us to house them here."

"Sounds like Murray actually," C.J. said, "Under the circumstances, I certainly can't criticize him for it."

They finally reached the right floor and Matt took out his security key.

"I think it's this one," he said, sliding it through the entrance device.

After several attempts, the red light turned green and the lock clicked open. Matt pushed the door opened and he and C.J. entered the darkened room. He flipped on the switch and C.J. looked around. She chuckled.

"It doesn't look much different than the one in L.A. right down to the hot tub."

They walked towards the entrance onto the deck outside, where sure enough there was a helipad and a stunning view of the city below them. The rain pelted the glass so they stayed inside, looking out for a moment at the approaching hurricane.

"I guess we'll be all right here for a while," he said, "as long as we stay away from the glass."

"All right," C.J. said, "I'll say."

She went to the bar and poured herself some scotch.

"Would you like some," she asked.

He nodded.

They both took their drinks and sat on the plush couch.

"Well, what should we do for the next day or so," Matt asked.

C.J. gave it some thought.

"We could turn on the news," she said, "and find out if Houston's directly in Grace's path or not."

Matt considered that.

"We could do something else," he said, putting their drinks down on the table and pulling her into an embrace.

She loved the way his arms felt wrapped around her, his scent making her feel both heady and safe.

"We could indeed," she agreed as they kissed.

* * *

Matt tried to keep his eyes focused on the road as he and Brody drove to the location of the bank. They knew they were getting close when they began to see streets cordoned off.

"We've got to get in somehow," he said.

"We got to lose this car first," Brody said, "We'll never get in this way."

Matt agreed and they went to find a place to park the car so they could continue the rest of the way on foot. He knew this area of Houston like the back of his hand and believed he could find a way through the perimeter set up by law enforcement. C.J. needed him and he wasn't about to let anything stand in his way.

* * *

C.J. looked at her watch, nothing the passage of another hour. She had been thinking about Hurricane Grace without knowing why except it beat remembering what was going on right in front of them.

Suddenly, the door opened and the women looked up to see Duke standing there looking at them.

"I'm glad to hear you've decided to cooperate with us," he said.

Alex stared at him.

"You didn't give us much choice, did you?"

"This isn't personal," Duke said, "This is strictly business."

C.J. sighed.

"So when your business is done, you'll let us go?"

Duke paused, then nodded.

"No reason to hold onto you afterwards that I can think of," he said, "Me and my boys will be on our way to easy street."

Somehow, C.J. doubted his words. She looked over at Alex and saw skepticism in her eyes as well.

"Okay, well as you can see, we have a very pregnant woman here and a woman with a toddler" C.J. said, "Why don't you let them go?"

Duke looked at Chris who sipped her water.

"Can't do that," he said, "We need you all, but I'll see what we can do within reason to make sure she's comfortable."

"Okay, that's fine," C.J. said, "but pregnant women go into labor and children need to be fed so if you're prepared to deal with those things…"

Duke paused.

"We'll take that under advisement, but everyone stays put," he said, "When you leave here depends entirely on how the police respond to us."

"Yeah right," Alex said.

He spun around.

"Ma'am would you like a bullet in your head," he said, "Would any of you?"

C.J.'s heart raced but she shrugged.

"I've been shot three times," she said, "I'm still here. What about you?"

"At least twice," Alex said, "I've lost count."

"So being threatened with a bullet doesn't exactly work," C.J. said, "But we will do as you ask to get us all out of here as quickly and safely as possible."

Duke seemed content with that then turned around and left them.

Alex looked at C.J.

"That's the calmest he's going to be during this siege," she said, "Things could get rough the longer this plays out."

C.J. nodded.

"We'll just have to find a way to use that to our advantage."

Outside the building, the shadows cast by the building's began to lengthen as the sun approached the horizon.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6---More on the cross-fiction. I hope you like it and thanks for the feedback!

* * *

Walker paced outside in the parking lot awaiting the return of his counterpart from the Houston Police Department. Sydney came up to him, bearing a can of soda. He eyed it in anticipation as the oppressive and unseasonal heat had parched his throat.

"Thanks," he said, "I really wish Commander Wilson would return, with the specs on the bank."

She looked at her watch.

"It's been a while hasn't it?"

"We need to know the floor plan of that bank before we coordinate any action with Houston Metro."

"Has there been any communication from the robbers yet?"

Walker shook his head.

"Not since we used the sound system to communicate with them and that was not long after we first set up here."

"Didn't Wilson say he was going to provide us the numbers for all the phones inside the bank?"

Walker scanned across the area looking for Wilson but couldn't spot him.

"That's what he said but then he said a lot of things."

Sydney nodded.

"Houston's PD is supposed to be set up to handle this," she said, "but they appear to be stumbling so far."

Walker scratched the back of his neck.

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who's noticed."

They both looked up to see Wilson and a couple men wearing stripes walk up to them.

"So what's the word," Walker asked.

"The communication station is trying to get word to the robbers," Wilson said.

"I take it they're not answering?"

Wilson sighed.

"Not so far," he said.

"They must be feeling awfully secure inside that bank," Walker said, "I wonder what they have in store for us."

* * *

Alex sat inside the office with the other women. Some of them took papers to fan themselves, even though the air conditioning still worked. One of them, a well-dressed middle aged woman named Gwen began talking about missing a fashion show across town.

"I was supposed to line all the models up and give them little pep talks before they walked on stage," she said, "I hope they found someone else to do it."

A younger blond woman named Gloria dressed in a sun dress and wearing a perpetual pout rolled her eyes.

"I was supposed to be at a photo session with Ivan," she said, "It was my only chance to make it in this town."

Alex and C.J. looked at each other.

"We were supposed to be in federal court going at each other tooth and nail and pulling each other's hair out," C.J. said, evenly.

Alex suppressed a chuckle.

"I so had her number before we went on recess," she said, "I was going to kick her butt after lunch."

C.J. countered.

"So you think," she said "But I was just getting started and now that this has all happened, don't believe I've lost my edge."

Alex grinned.

"I'm more worried about who did your manicure job."

Gloria frowned.

"This isn't anything to laugh about," she said, "They could come in any minute and kill us all."

C.J. pondered that for a moment.

"That's true, Gloria but that can happen whether we're trying to get through this ordeal the best we can or if we sit around here feeling sorry for ourselves waiting to get killed."

Alex nodded.

"After you've been kidnapped a half a dozen times or so, you've pretty much put together a strategy that works and just keep it flexible."

Gloria's mouth hung open.

"I don't believe you've been kidnapped even once."

Alex smiled.

"That's because you don't know me," she said, "But I was a county prosecutor in Dallas and my husband's a Texas Ranger and unfortunately, being kidnapped or held hostage is an occupational hazard of both professions."

"She's got me beat for sure," C.J. said, "I've been kidnapped only a few times. By international terrorists, cult leaders and one of my fiancé's fatal attraction girlfriends who thought I was trying to steal her one-night stand."

Gloria scrutinized her.

"I guess you're good looking enough to steal someone's boyfriend" she said, "though you look a bit peaked."

"Blame that on my fiancé," C.J. said, smiling.

Gloria frowned at both of them.

"How can you be so casual about all this? Men running around with guns, holding us all hostage?"

C.J. grew serious.

"Because I've learned that as difficult as it is to keep calm during a crisis, finding a way to relax is really your only chance to survive. It's hard to come up with a plan of action if you're panicky and then you are dead or worse."

"A plan of action," Gloria said, "We're going to do exactly as what we're told and they're going to let us go."

C.J. rubbed her forehead.

"I guess that depends on whether or not you believe that the bank robbers who are hardened criminals are telling us, their hostages the truth."

Gloria put her hand over her mouth.

"You mean they might be lying?"

Alex patted the woman's shoulder.

"It doesn't matter," she said, "Somehow we're going to find a way to get out of here."

"But the police…"

"They will do the best they can," Alex said, "But they have a difficult job to do and we have to do our best to stay strong and help them."

Gloria nodded slowly.

"I see," she said, "Oh God, I should have just used the ATM instead."

C.J. left them to check on Chris, who still sipped water and fanned herself with a bank brochure on auto loan interest rates.

"How are you doing," she said.

"I don't know," Chris said, "I'm feeling some pain. It comes and goes."

"Why didn't you say anything," C.J. asked.

"I don't think it's anything to worry about," Chris said, "I've had them before."

Fran shook her head.

"I'm no good at birthing babies, even my own so if you're planning on having yours here, you might rethink that."

Chris folded her arms.

"That is most definitely not my plan," she said, "and I still got two more weeks left."

Fran chuckled.

"That's what my doctor told me," she said, "Little did she know."

C.J. rubbed her friend's arm.

"It's going to be all right," she said, "We're going to get out here."

Chris nodded, then took another sip of her water.

* * *

After parking the car, Matt and Brody started walking around the perimeter trying to find a weak spot. Often, they felt like they were going in circles. Police cars closed off some of the streets and patrol officers stationed themselves in strategic areas on the pedestrian walkways. Store owners sweeping the areas in front of their businesses watched the activity taking place.

"Man, Houston's a confusing city," Brody said, "I'd read about it, but this goes beyond the hype."

"It's not as bad as L.A."

"The air's just as bad," Brody said, "You really think that settling down here and raising kids is such a great idea?"

"How many kids did you say you had again in L.A.?"

Brody nodded.

"Good point," he said, "I wanted to move out of L.A. myself but the wife, well she wanted to be close to all the shopping…good schools all that stuff."

"C.J. has everything she needs in her life right here," Matt said, "Her work, her volunteering and her friends."

"She doesn't have you here," Brody pointed out, "You do travel a lot."

"I did travel a lot," Matt said, "I'm living here now. We work together. We're getting married."

"That's a relief," Brody said, "especially if there's a little one on the way."

Matt glared at his friend.

"We've got to find a way to get through this perimeter," he said, "Any ideas?"

Brody hesitated.

"I do have one," he said, "But I don't know if you're going to like it."

* * *

Alex grabbed a water bottle and some pretzels and sat back down. She tossed some pretzels to C.J. who opened them and nibbled on several of them.

"If you eat them with water, it will help with any queasiness," she said.

"Actually, I'm feeling better than I did this morning," C.J. said.

"You're lucky," Alex said, "I was sick all day."

"For how long?"

"Just two months," she said, then saw the expression on C.J.'s face.

"I know it seems like forever, but after it's passed, you've forgotten it's ever happened," Alex finished.

C.J. sipped her water.

"I hope so," she said, "Although I have to say it does pale in comparison to being caught in the middle of a bank robbery."

"I'll say," Alex said, "I wonder what's going on outside."

"They're probably trying to figure out what's going on in here."

"Maybe we should tell them," Alex said.

"Call them," C.J. said, "We still have our cell phones."

"True," Alex said, "I wonder why they didn't confiscate them."

"I wonder if they took the men's phones," C.J. said, pulling hers out.

"Yeah, maybe they just think that we're the weaker sex," Alex said, "I'll call my husband."

She clicked hers open and pushed some buttons.

Walker read the Caller ID on his phone and answered it.

"Alex," he said, "What's going on in there?"

Sydney heard the tone in his voice and stood next to him.

"I'm fine honey," Alex said, "We're all still here, about a dozen of us. The robbers split us up in and put us in different locations. I'm with other women in one of the offices. I think in the middle of the building."

"Okay," Walker said, "Are you all okay?"

"We're doing fine," she said, "But we have a woman who's nearly nine months pregnant and she's not very comfortable. We've given her some water. And there's a woman with a small child."

"Okay," he said, "We're doing all we can to bring this to a resolution but so far not much has come from the robbers. Have they shared anything with you?"

"Not much," Alex said, "They threaten us with shooting to keep us in line but we've not seen much of them."

"How many of them are there do you think?"

Alex paused.

"I think about three or four."

"Besides Duke and Harley, have you heard any names?"

"No I haven't," she said.

"The federal courts just called us when they heard about the robbery on the news," Walker said, "They were looking for you and Ms Parsons."

"We're both here," Alex said, "We're doing fine."

"Sit tight and we're going to come in and get you."

Alex clicked off her phone and held it close to her. She had no doubt that her husband would do anything and everything humanly possible to rescue her and the other hostages from the robbers. She also knew that a lot of what happened to them depended on how they themselves acted during the next several hours.

Experience had taught Alex these bitter lessons and she put them into use now. She tried to force everything out of her mind so she could focus on what was in front of them. She found memories of Angela and Walker invading her mind and she forced them away. She looked over at the other women and wondered if they faced the same struggle.

* * *

C.J. sat, still with her cell phone in her hand. She kept an eye on Chris who sat next to Fran, hoping that she remained calm as not to trigger premature labor. Of course, thinking about Chris led her to think about her own baby growing inside of her oblivious to all else. She sighed rubbing her stomach. At least the pretzels and water had done their job at keeping the queasiness at bay.

Much later, they had lain in each others' arms and she snuggled closer to him. He stroked her hair and she closed her eyes enjoying the sensation of being held. Outside the building, the hurricane raged, having barely missed Houston but still packing high winds and a lot of rain.

"I wonder how close it got to us," she said.

"Sounds like a narrow miss," he said, "I'm glad I'm not out in it.

She nodded.

"When did you get to town anyway?"

"About an hour before I came here," he said, "And just before they closed the airport."

She listened to his heartbeat.

"I'm glad," she said, "You were gone for over a month."

He sighed.

"That's the last trip like that I'm taking."

She lifted her head to look at him.

"Are you sure?"

He kissed her forehead.

"Yeah, I'm sure," he said, "I hated being away for that long."

"I missed you," she said, "I've been very busy but I still missed you."

"Well, we're together now," he said, "in the middle of a hurricane…"

She laughed.

"Are you hungry," he asked, "I'm starved, what about you?"

She nodded.

"I haven't eaten in hours."

"I think I'll go see what's in the kitchen."

The electricity had gone out but the secondary power had kicked on in response. He got out of bed, put on his robe and left the room. C.J. watched him go, smiling. She wondered what time it was because it seemed to have stood still then decided it didn't matter. Nothing did outside the suite. He returned a few moments later.

"What did you find," she asked.

He brightened.

"Some frozen pizza," he said, "And some wine."

She looked wary.

"What's on the pizza?"

He sat on the bed and she moved closer.

"Let's see, there's onions, duck sausage, goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, anchovies…"

"Anchovies?"

He hid his smile.

"Will that be a problem?"

She shook her head.

"Oh no," she said, "It just makes me think we should have invited Brody to our party."

Matt looked horrified, but his eyes sparkled.

"I don't think there's enough room for him in this bed, do you?"

She looked around her.

"I guess not," she said, "how long until the pizza's done?"

"About 45 minutes," he said, "I've got a couple ideas of how we can keep busy until then."

So did she.

* * *

Matt looked down at his outfit.

"They're never going to believe that we're priests," he said.

"Stop being such a cynic," Brody said, "I think they'll go for it."

"Isn't it against some law to impersonate religious leaders?"

Brody gave that some thought.

"It might be a sin in some religions," he said, "But it's not against the law."

"I'm going to Hell I just know it," Matt grumbled.

"I think that St. Peter will understand that there are mitigating circumstances in this case."

The two men walked down the street, attracting the attention of passersby.

"I could never be a priest," Matt said, "The celibacy part and all that."

Brody nodded.

"I spent a couple months in a monastery myself," he said, "The most difficult time of my life."

Matt stopped in his tracks and turned to look at him.

"You what?"

"Don't act so surprised Matt," Brody said, "I have a deeply spiritual side."

"I don't doubt that," Matt said, "You just don't seem the type."

"I did it not long after high school," Brody said, "But I dropped out after I had a crisis of faith…"

"What was her name?"

"Belinda, but that's not important," Brody said, "I decided that going to weekly mass was enough for me and besides, I decided that I wanted to do something else in my life that's actually similar to the priesthood."

"So you became a cop?"

Brody nodded.

"Exactly," he said, "And then I met my wife and you're right about the celibacy."

Matt saw them approach some officers standing perimeter.

"Okay, so what do we do now?"

Brody smiled.

"Just leave it up to me…"

* * *

Fran sat next to C.J.

"How are you doing," she asked.

"Fine, what about you and Chris?"

Fran frowned.

"I'm worried about Chris," she said, "She's been having these pains."

"How frequently?"

"Every once in a while," Fran said, "I'm wondering if it's labor."

"Did yours start this way?"

Fran shook her head.

"Mine began practically the minute before the first head popped out."

C.J. ran her hand through her hair.

"Okay, just keep her quiet and comfortable and we'll see what happens."

Fran nodded and went back to Chris. Alex saw what was going on and walked over.

"So do you think your friend's going to be all right?"

"I don't know," C.J. said, "God, I hope so. I think this is about the last place I'd want my baby to be born."

Alex smiled.

"It'll be okay," she said, "If that happens, we'll figure out a way to deal with it."

"I know," C.J. said, "I just want to get out of here and go home."

Alex nodded.

"I know the feeling," she said, "but we'll get out of this and then you can go home to your fiancé and tell him he's going to be a father."

C.J. laughed.

"Then the drama will really begin."

"He'll be thrilled about the news."

"I know that," C.J. said, "But he might be worried because we're not married. We didn't plan this. It just happened."

"That's okay," Alex said, "It'll work out. When two people love each other, they can handle anything and having children is the greatest joy two people can share."

"I know he'll be very happy," C.J. said, "if we ever get out of here and I can tell him."

* * *

Walker looked up as two Houston Police Department officers led two priests towards him. He looked at them and sighed Hadn't the police officers working security perimeter been ordered to keep everyone out?

"We found these two men," one officer said, "They claim to be priests."

"From what parish," Walker asked.

"St. Mary of the Holy Trinity of God in Christ Everlasting," the officer said, "I think that's all of it."

Walker stared at the two men.

"So you're really priests," he said, "Where did you study?"

Matt and Brody looked at each other.

"I studied at St. Peter's School of Ministry," Brody offered.

Walker looked at Matt who stared back at him.

"And you?"

"I'm with him," Matt said, simply.

"Why are you here," Walker said, "Someone must have told you this is off-limits."

Brody didn't miss a beat.

"To offer ministry to the first responders to this crisis in our midst."

"Nobody called you," Walker said.

Matt watched in frustration.

"Okay, we're not really priests."

Walker raised his brows.

"Somehow you just don't look the part," he said, "I'm not sure why that is but you need to leave."

"I'm not leaving," Matt said, "My fiancé is trapped inside there."

Walker sighed.

"Everyone's fiancé or wife is trapped in there including mine."

Matt narrowed his eyes.

"Who are you," he asked.

"I'm Cordell Walker," he said, "I'm a Texas Ranger."

"Wait, is your wife named Alex Cahill?"

"Cahill-Walker yes," Walker said, "Why do you ask?"

"I spoke with my fianceé, C.J. Parsons, before the robbery happened," Matt said, "She said she was with Alex."

Walker pressed his lips together.

"Yes, I've already been on the phone with her," he said, "She mentioned that Ms Parsons was with her. They're both doing fine."

Matt felt relieved.

"I flew all the way out here with my former partner, who's an ex-LAPD cop to find out what happened," he said.

"Not much," Walker said, "Three or four robbers seized a bank. A teller must have activated the panic button and now they've taken hostages."

"Do you know who they are?"

"One is Duke Johnson who broke out of federal prison yesterday."

"And then met up with his former partners to get his name in the papers again?"

"Pretty much," Walker said, "Look I know you're worried about your fianceé but you and your partner have got leave and let us do our job."

"I've got military intelligence training," Matt said, "and that's just for starters. And I don't trust feds and local police much because they cause as many problems as they solve."

"Your point being?"

"You can run me off," Matt said, "You can arrest me and lock me up but you're not going to stop me from getting my fianceé and anyone else out of there."

"These are professional bank robbers…"

Matt folded his arms.

"So? I've taken on much worse scum than that in my life including terrorists, extortionists and serial killers."

Walker grew curious.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Matt Houston, I'm here and you can either work with me or against me."

"Yeah, I've heard of you," Walker admitted, "You broke up a huge human trafficking ring about a year or so ago."

"Not one of my favorite jobs," he said, "But I did it, with help from good people not the least is the woman inside there."

Walker nodded, digesting the information then he made a decision.

"I'll tell you what," he said, "I can't promise anything but I'll see what I can do about adding you to my team."

Matt looked at Brady.

"I didn't travel alone," he said.

Walker nodded again, not knowing quite what he had gotten himself into. At that point, a lieutenant ran up to him.

"The robbers have just made contact with us."

Walker sighed and followed by Matt and Brody, he followed the lieutenant back to the phone.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7--The latest chapter of the crossover fiction is up. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for the comments!

* * *

Walker took the phone from the communications specialist at the mobile command center and put it to his ear.

"Hi, this is Cordell Walker, Texas Rangers."

"I take it you already know who I am, Ranger," Duke said.

Walker sighed.

"Yes I do," he said, "You're Duke Johnson, you escaped from the federal penitentiary yesterday."

"I had no choice," Duke said, "It was getting cramped in there. I need wide open space."

"So you left Dodge and headed down to Houston looking for more elbow room?"

"You're not reading me Ranger," Duke said, "I said I needed to get out of there. I've got claustrophobia."

"Okay, so you don't like cramped spaces," Walker said, "So why then did you come down to a major city, the same urban area where your past associates hang their hats."

"Why you coming down so hard, Ranger," Duke said, "I'm the one holding the cards here. I've got hostages here and I won't hesitate to kill any or all of them if you don't agree to my demands or if you try to send the SWAT people in."

"There's no need to threaten to kill anyone," Walker said, "So what's your list of demands?"

Duke hesitated.

"I'm still working on it," he said, "I'll get back to you when it's completed."

"We want progress reports on the hostages," Walker said.

"You will get them when you show that you're negotiating in good faith," he said, hanging up.

Walker handed the phone back to the specialist.

"He's made contact," he said, "But he hasn't told us what he wants."

Matt and Brody followed Walker back outside the mobile trailer.

"As long as he feels like he's in control, they're probably safe," Matt said.

"Yeah, but that's not going to be for very long," Walker said, "And that's when it will get dangerous."

Matt rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"What do you think he wants?"

Walker looked at the bank, which except for a light or two inside had gone dark.

"He's probably sitting on all the money he and his partners will ever need," he said, "So I think he's going to ask for an escape route."

"His hostages are going to be his bargaining chips," Matt said.

Walker faced him.

"Look, I know you've got a loved one inside there, so have I," he said, "But we can't change the rule book for handling this."

"So you're going to wait until he starts breaking them?"

Walker put his hand up.

"No," he said, "But it's going to take us a while to come up with a new rule book."

Sydney and Gage walked up to them.

"Good to see you Gage," Walker said, "This is Matt and his partner Brody."

Gage and Sydney extended their hands and the other men shook them.

"And this is Gage and Sydney, two of my best Rangers."

"Nice to meet you," Matt said, "I think I have some Rangers in my family."

Sydney smiled grimly.

"So what brings you out here?"

"I was on the phone with my fiancée when the robbers took over the bank," Matt said, "She's inside there."

"So's Alex," Sydney said.

"Oh God, I didn't know that," Gage said.

Walker nodded.

"I've already talked to her," He said, "Everyone's okay so far."

"That could change any minute," Matt said, "Did you receive any records from the federal penitentiary on this guy?"

"We're still waiting for them," Walker said, "They're trying to track them down from that prison and Brownsville, not to mention several county jails."

Matt nodded.

"Does he have any family around here," he asked.

"We're asking all those questions Mr. Houston," Walker said, "And we're still waiting for the answers."

* * *

Alex sat in the office and looked at her watch. Several more hours had passed, adding to the time they had spent captive inside the bank. The robbers including Duke had pretty much left them alone and they had passed the time talking about their lives, their families, their careers, anything to keep their minds off of their hazardous situation.

Alex thought about her husband and her child. It hurt to see them projected on her eyelids when she closed them but her memories of the Angela dominated. The day she drew breath. Her first smile. Her first step. Her first words.

C.J. saw the expression on her face.

"What are you thinking of," she said, "It must be something really nice."

"It is," Alex said, "I'm thinking of the day my daughter said her first word, which was 'Waka'. I was in the kitchen getting ready to feed her in her high chair and she just came out and said it. I almost dropped her strained peas."

"She called her father by his name?"

Alex nodded as tears threatened. She wiped them away quickly.

"She's Daddy's little girl for sure."

"I'm sure she takes after her mother too," C.J. said, "If you're not careful, she could wind up being bitten by the law bug too."

"I want to see her grow up," Alex said, "And do all the things that girls do. Dress up. Go to parties. Go to the spring dance…"

C.J. smiled warmly.

"She could wind up being a tomboy," C.J. said, "Doing all that but also climbing up trees, riding horses and fishing with her best friend, sometimes in her spring dance clothes."

Alex smiled.

"Was that you?"

C.J. nodded.

"Guilty as charge," she said, "I had the perfect partner in crime of course."

"Ah, the man who's going to be a father," Alex guessed.

C.J. took a deep breath and looked down at her hands.

"Yeah," she said, "It took us forever to find each other. I mean, we've always been best friends since we met but it wasn't until some months ago that we finally got together."

"Sometimes that's how it works," Alex said, "I mean Walker and I knew each other for years. We weren't best friends at first, in fact we fought a lot but we always had an understanding."

"So how long did it take for to know you were with each other for the long haul?"

Alex thought about it.

"Too long, I sometimes think," she said, "But at least we figure it all out."

"I think Houston knew before I did," she said, "Maybe if I would have caught on but I was having a hard time dealing with what happened when I was kidnapped."

"And how it changed you?"

C.J. looked up, surprised.

"Well…yeah, I'm not the same woman I used to be."

After she said this, C.J. half expected Alex to disagree with her but instead she nodded slowly.

"I know what you mean," Alex said, "I felt that way a few times after going through something traumatic, but Walker helped keep me grounded."

"He never gave up on me," C.J. said, "No matter how much I pushed him away, even physically."

"He's like Walker then," Alex said, "He'll do whatever is necessary for the woman he loves."

"I wish he were here," C.J. said, quietly.

* * *

Matt looked at the maps which Walker spread out in front of him of the banks.

"I know this bank," Matt said, "C.J.'s friend kept a safety deposit box there for her. She went into the bank to access it. When she moved out to Houston, she transferred her accounts to that bank."

Walker turned to look at Matt.

"So you've been inside?"

Matt nodded.

"A few times," he said, "when I've been in town."

Walker drew a line across the blue print of the first floor.

"So these are the teller stations…here," he said, tapping a spot with his finger, "And there are offices over there."

"Looks like it," Matt said, "From what I recall. I bet that's where Duke and his men have the hostages stashed."

Walker nodded.

"I sent Sydney and Gage to try to do some surveillance on any other entrances or exits that might have been missed. Tunnels, access through nearby buildings, other possibilities."

Brody walked up with some sandwiches and handed one to Matt.

"No Anchovies, right?"

Brody shook his head.

"What do you take me for," he said, "I did call Hoyt back in L.A. He's been following the news. There might be an L.A. connection with Duke Johnson as well so he's looking into that."

"Thanks," Walker said, "He's spent half of life locked up one place or another."

"Not a very good bank robber then," Brody said.

"He's not that smart," Walker said, "But he more than makes up for that in violence so we have to be very careful with him."

Matt and Brody looked at each other.

* * *

C.J. walked over to check on Missy and Amanda. The toddler had napped a bit but now lay on the floor, wiping her eyes sleepily.

"I only brought enough food for snacks," Missy said, "And she's going to be hungry again soon."

C.J. smiled.

"We'll see if we can work on that," she said, reaching into her pockets, "Here's some more pretzels."

Missy took them.

"Thanks," she said, then looked over at Chris, "How's she holding up?"

C.J. looked over at her friend, who was still fanning herself.

"She's doing okay," she said, "She's due in two weeks."

Missy nodded.

"God, I remember what it was like during the final weeks of pregnancy," she said, "I couldn't wait to get the child out."

"I guess you were really excited to meet her," C.J. said.

Missy shrugged.

"Well yeah that, but carrying all that weight in front for weeks is murder on the back."

C.J. got up and walked back to Alex. Fran had left Chris and came over towards them.

"What's up Fran," C.J. asked.

"Chris might be having the baby a little bit early," Fran said.

"Is she having contractions?"

"Not really," Fran said, "More like twinges of pain every once in a while. But I learned through experience that those are the ones you've got to watch."

C.J. sighed.

"I don't know what to do if she goes into labor," she said.

Fran looked towards the door.

"We could get the bruiser standing outside to act as midwife," Fran said.

C.J. grimaced.

"She'll need a doctor."

"She might not have that," Fran said, "and then it will be left up to us."

C.J. ran her hand through her hair.

"We'll have to do the best we can," she said, "and hope it doesn't come to that."

Fran studied her friend.

"How are you feeling," she said, "It goes away after three months, I promise."

C.J.'s eyes shot up.

"How did…"

Fran laughed.

"You look just like me when I was expecting the twins," she said, "Does Matt know he's going to be a father?"

C.J. shook her head.

"I haven't had time to tell him," she said, "I just found out and he's been away."

"Well, when all this over with, the best way to break the news is over champagne, non-alcohol of course and strawberries…"

"I'm thinking more of Anchovies," C.J. mused, "in between slices of…watermelon and graham crackers."

Fran blanched.

"Omigod," she said, "Even mine weren't that bad. I can see you're going to keep him busy with your shopping list."

"I hope I can do that, Fran," C.J. said, "But we've got to get out of here first."

* * *

Matt brought back the pizza to the bed where C.J. waited for him. She sat cross-legged and he joined her.

"It smells really good," she said.

"I got some wine too," he said, taking the bottle that he had opened and pouring it into glasses.

She sipped it then raised a brow.

"Good vintage," she said, "If I didn't know any better, I would think it would be for a special occasion."

He remained silent for a while.

"What is it," she asked.

"I know we weren't supposed to be here," he said, "I'm just glad that we're together in the same place."

She nodded, sipping her wine again.

"So am I," she said, "But you're right, we were supposed to be at a business meeting at El Marinos across town tonight."

He paused again.

"It wasn't really a business meeting," he said, "I just told you that to hide the real reason."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Oh? Is there anything wrong," she said.

He shook his head.

"There's nothing wrong," he said, "At least I don't think so."

"Then what is it," she said, leaning forward, "Please tell me."

She watched a mixture of emotions in his eyes.

"There's something I have to ask you…"

* * *

Matt opened his eyes and saw Brody walking towards him quickly. They were just outside the mobile command center where Walker briefed Gage and Sydney on what they needed to look for during their recognizance.

"Hey Matt," Brody said, "I think they're ready to look for any weaknesses in the building design."

He nodded.

"I was just thinking," Matt said.

"About C.J.?"

"About how much we've been through together all these years," he said, rubbing his forehead, "I'm just wondering when we'll get some time to breathe."

"Well, you two have lived an exciting life where you've taken great risks to help others especially those who are less fortunate," Brody said, "Unfortunately, that means making sacrifices. I learned that as a cop."

"Yeah, I guess it does," Matt said, "but the past year or so have been so difficult, she deserves a chance to be happy."

"She's very happy, Matt," Brody said, "She loves you very much."

Matt smiled.

"I know that," he said, "Did you know she accepted my proposal before I even finished saying it?"

"Well, she's a woman who knows what she wants and believes in cutting to the chase."

Matt started walking. Brody tried to keep up.

"Where are you going," he said.

Matt didn't answer but kept moving.

* * *

Gloria listened to the other women talking for a while then she got up and began pacing again. She pulled out a pack of cigarettes and shook one out.

"Put that away please," C.J. said, "There's a pregnant woman in here."

"Who probably would like one to at this point," Gloria said, "We're all going to die."

"No we're not," C.J. said, "I'm certainly not and I've been in situations much worse than this one."

"What makes you the expert," Gloria asked.

C.J. paused.

"Let's just say that I know."

Gloria scoffed.

"Let's just say that you don't."

"I've was kidnapped last year, when I was walking to my car. The men who did it worked for a notorious human trafficker. You do know what they do to the women, don't you?"

Gloria pursed her lips and look away.

"I think I read about that happening to a woman and she had to go into hiding for a long time," Gloria said.

"That was me," C.J. said, "I was the only woman to get away from them. None of the other ones did. Some tried and were killed. Others were caught and sold off and still haven't been found."

"And your point is," Gloria said, looking at her nails.

"I wasn't any smarter or better than these other women," she said, "I was just lucky and I had help but to get to that point where I could get away, I had to stay alive and keep my wits together no matter what through some very horrible times."

Gloria didn't say anything.

"I learned from that and other experiences that there are bad things that happen to you that you can't stop," C.J. said, "But how you respond and how you handle yourself may be what determines whether you live or die."

"We'll there's not much we can do if these robbers decide to kill us," Gloria said.

"You're wrong," Alex said, "Everything we say or do is going to influence what happens and ultimately how this situations ends."

"But… haven't they got their minds made up?"

C.J. shrugged.

"Probably not," she said, "I doubt this hostage situation was part of the original plan, except maybe as a possible complication."

"So that means they may not know what to do with us?"

Alex nodded.

"Precisely," she said, "I've been in this situation before and each minute and what you do with it counts more than the last."

Gloria brushed a tear from her face.

"I don't know what to do," she said, "Christ, I'm an actress."

"Then consider yourself in the position of playing the role of your life," C.J. said.

"Yeah maybe my last role," she said.

C.J put her hands on the woman's shoulders and looked at her.

"My friend sitting over there will be lucky if she gets out of here before she has her baby," she said, "And see Missy over there, she's got to take care of Amanda, her daughter and I…"

Gloria raised her brow.

"I just found out I was pregnant this morning," she said, "and I want my baby to have a fighting chance to be born. I'm not letting anyone take that away from me, let alone any two-bit robbers."

"And I've got my daughter waiting for me in Dallas," Alex said, "Probably waiting for her Daddy to read her a good night story like he does every night."

Gloria looked from one woman to the other, pressing her hands together nervously.

"Okay I'll help you," Gloria said, "Just tell me what to do."

* * *

Matt got on the phone with his Uncle Roy who was in L.A. still working the office for his investigative agency.

"How's it going," Roy said.

"They just heard from the bank robbers," Matt said, "But no demands as of it."

"They're probably unprepared to make any," Roy said.

"Exactly," Matt said, "I think they thought they'd just run in and get the money and run out."

"But instead, they're holed in the bank with innocent hostages," Roy said.

"And one of them's C.J.," Matt said.

"She's going to be fine," Roy said, "She can take care of herself and anyone else around her."

"I know," Matt said, "We've been working with some Texas Rangers. Cordell Walker's leading them."

"I know him," Roy said, "He's a good man, the best of his kind. You can trust him."

"I'm trying," Matt said, "But it's hard not knowing what's going on."

Walker approached him.

"We're having a meeting at the mobile center," he said, "About what to do next."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8---Another installment of the cross-over fanfiction. I hope you like it and thanks for the feedback!

* * *

"Another meeting," Matt said, as he followed Walker to the mobile station.

Walker nodded.

"The State Attorney General's office and FBI want in on this," he said, "They are both sending in teams."

"Maybe that will help," Matt said, "Then again, maybe they'll just get in each other's way."

Walker and Matt entered into the cramped quarters and both took seats next to Sydney, Brody and Gage.

"You don't trust feds very much, do you?"

Matt sighed.

"No I don't as a rule," he said, "It depends entirely on the fed."

"Fair enough," Walker said, "But they have resources we don't at the state or local levels and we might need them."

"I'm not going to interfere," Matt said, "but C.J. in there, she's been burned by feds before and I'm just putting that on the table before we all sit together and get cozy."

Walker stroked his chin.

"I've worked with these men personally and I'll vouch for them if it comes to that," he said, "I won't work with anybody from any law enforcement agency including federal if I don't think they're up to the job."

Matt nodded.

"That's nice to hear," he said, "and that does make a difference."

"Hey Walker," Gage said, "Syd and I found some possibilities on our surveillance run."

"Good job," Walker said, "We'll go over them after this meeting."

They all looked up to see a burly man with a suit come into the trailer and Matt recognized the mayor of Houston and his aide.

"Here we go," Matt said, "The politicians are starting to show up."

Walker looked up.

"Deputy Mayor Garrett Spurs," he said, "I met him once at a law enforcement conference on homeland security."

"He's up for reelection this year," Matt said, "C.J. and I were invited to one of his galas but fortunately that's when the hurricane blew through town."

"Gracie, right?"

"Yeah, I guess they called the whole thing off," Matt said, "It didn't slow him down for very long."

"I guess he's going to give a speech," Gage said, leaning back in his chair.

Spurs walked up to the makeshift podium that had been set up in front of an audience of law enforcement officers and evidence technicians.

"Gentlemen, ladies, I'm Deputy Mayor Garrett Spurs, here on behalf of the honorable mayor who's in the Far East on trade business. I just got off the phone with the mayor and he's pledged the support of all the personnel and resources that this city needs to address this hostage crisis and bring it to a safe and swift resolution."

"Doesn't he know that safe and swift don't necessarily go together," Sydney said, frowning.

"It's probably something he borrowed from his campaign brochure," Brody said, chomping on a sandwich, "We had a guy like that running for mayor in L.A. who used that line."

Spurs continued.

"The mayor also told me to pass along the statement that we will not negotiate nor will we lose any ground to these urban terrorists. No, we will not turn the other cheek…"

He pounded the podium.

"We will smite them and all of their ilk from our fine city."

Matt looked at Walker.

"Are there any reporters picking this up on live feed?"

Walker looked around the trailer.

"I don't think so," he said, "and we'd better keep that to ourselves."

Matt nodded.

"Because we could have a group of dead hostages if he keeps up with the fire and brimstone."

Walker sighed.

"We need to get the politicians out of here and the pros in here to come up with a game plan before Johnson calls us back with his list of demands."

Walker listened to himself acting decisive and in control of the situation and most of him believed wholeheartedly in what he said. Then again, a smaller part of him kept returning back to last night when he and Alex had sat at their dinner table watching Angela first eat her pureed peas and carrots and then pick them up in her fingers and paint the high chair tray with them. Each passing day, Angela was proving to be a chip off the block of her mama, in terms of knowing exactly what she wanted and didn't want, what she liked and what she didn't. Spirited but definitely not spoiled. He had called to check on how his daughter was faring through all this and was reassured to hear that she had just been put down for a nap and hadn't started to miss her parents yet.

He hoped that he and Alex would be returning to Dallas to pick her up soon before she realized they were gone but as the daylight faded into darkness, the earlier hopes that this situation would be resolved soon began to fade away with the sunlight.

* * *

Alex thought of her husband just then out of the blue and wondered about him. The sun had begun to set and Harley and Bruiser had been in to check on them several times, telling them if they sat quietly it wouldn't be too much longer until they would be released. Alex listened at them but didn't believe a word of it.

She looked at Missy who had a fretful Amanda sitting on her lap.

"Is she hungry," she asked.

"She's not eaten anything but snacks since this morning."

Alex stood up.

"We should ask these men if they're going to feed us or let us starve to death."

Missy looked fearful.

"We don't want to upset them."

"It's going to be okay," Alex said, "I'll see what I can do."

* * *

Fran and C.J. sat near Chris who sipped water nervously but seemed to be doing better.

"So what are you going to be doing about jump starting your family ahead of schedule," Fran said.

"We're getting married in a couple of months," C.J. said, "I don't think my dress is going to fit by then."

Fran shrugged.

"I was six months along at my wedding," she said, "Believe it or not, the designers make dresses ready to fit these…unexpected surprises."

"How did Carlos handle it?"

Fran furrowed her brow, then smiled.

"He was thrilled," she said, "But they all are when they realize they hit the mark. It's a guy thing, I don't understand it. They only start to freak out about it later. Isn't that true, Chris?"

Chris looked up at them.

"What?"

"Oh that's right," Fran said, "You did everything in the right order."

"Fran, what the hell are you talking about?"

Fran picked up a pretzel and nibbled on it.

"You got married and then got pregnant," she said, "Unlike some of us."

Chris looked indignant.

"Excuse me, some of us are sitting here praying not to give birth inside a bank in the middle of a hostage situation. That's hardly doing everything right in order."

"Look at it on the bright side," Fran said, "Maybe the kid will get a free savings account from the bank CEO in return."

Chris snorted.

"That's not funny," she said, "C.J., do you find any of this funny?"

C.J. shook her head.

"No, but if I don't laugh, I'm going to start crying and I can't do that right now."

Fran glowered at her.

"It's the hormones talking, girl."

"No, it's just been one of those days," C.J. said, "Between this court case, the six pink lines in the bathroom this morning and now this…"

"Are you still feeling sick," Fran asked.

C.J. shook her head.

"But I'd kill for some Anchovies right now," she said, "Maybe I should call Brody in L.A. and see if he delivers."

Alex walked over to them.

"Are any of you hungry," she asked.

Chris shook her head. The others nodded.

"I'll see if I can get these men to get us some food," Alex said.

C.J. stood up.

"I'll join you," she said.

They both left the office where they ran into Bruiser who still stood guard.

"We need some food," Alex said, "We're all hungry and none of us know how long this is going to last."

Bruiser thought about it.

"I'll talk to Duke and ask him to order some pizzas or something," he said, "But there won't be any funny stuff or we'll start killing you off starting with you mouthy broads."

Both women shook their heads.

"No, this is strictly a request for food," C.J. said.

Bruiser grabbed C.J.'s arm. She willed herself not to recoil and pull away from him.

"You and I will go talk to Duke about the dining situation," he said, then turned to Alex, "We'll be back."

C.J. gave Alex one last look before they went off looking for Duke.

* * *

Duke and Harley were talking in another office. Duke had been penciling some items on a pad of paper and conferring with Harley about them. C.J. and Bruiser entered the office. Duke looked up and raised his eyebrows when he saw them. He looked over C.J. up and down. She smiled although he made her skin crawl.

"And who is this lovely lady?"

"She wants to know if we'll be serving dinner," Bruiser said.

Duke folded his arms and looked at them for a minute. C.J. just looked at the floor.

"Are the women getting hungry," Duke asked.

C.J. nodded, still not looking up.

"We can talk easier if you'll look me in the eye."

She did just that but kept her glance noncommittal.

"That's better," he said, "Now I think we can order some pizzas to be delivered for food. Do you think you can help me with that?"

She nodded.

"Okay, I'm just about to give all those police there a call with my list of demands," Duke said, "I'll just add some large pizzas to that list."

He picked up the phone and made the call.

* * *

Walker heard the phone ring and went to answer it, knowing that it was Duke calling them back. The others stood around him. He put the call on speaker phone.

"Is this that Ranger, Walker?"

"This is him," Walker said, "And this is Duke?"

"In the flesh," Duke said, "I've got my list of demands and I've got a young lady here who's going to ask you to order some pizzas for the women here."

"What about the men," Walker said.

"We'll take the lady's order and double it up to feed the men we've got here."

"Okay, I've got a pen and paper ready," Walker said, "Let's hear about those demands."

"I want safe passage by armored car to the airport where I've got a jet waiting with a pilot," Duke said, "I want no interference whatsoever when I and my partners leave for the airport. I will give you the majority of hostages when I'm ready to leave but I will be taking several with me to guarantee your further cooperation."

"I see," Walker said, "Well, it's going to take us time to get that all together. A few hours, maybe longer."

"Don't be giving me any bull, "Duke said,"Or I can start shooting hostages in five minutes."

C.J. heard the anger in his voice and tried not to flinch.

Walker remained silent for a moment.

"Okay, we'll get working on it right now and we'll give you a call back…"

"No, you're not getting this number," Duke said, "I'll call you back regularly to find out your progress. If I like it, you're fine. If I don't, then you're going to start losing hostages."

"There's no need to talk like that Duke," Walker said, "I think we're all on the same page here."

"If you want to keep it that way," Duke said, "You'll give me what I ask for quickly enough."

Walker wrote some notes on his pad of paper.

"Now about the food," he said.

"I'll get the lady on the phone," Duke said.

Walker listened as Duke talked to the woman on the other end, warning her not to say or try anything funny.

"Hello?"

Matt looked up, recognizing the voice.

"It's C.J.," he said.

Walker held up his hand.

"Okay, that might be," he said, "But her life might depend on us not giving that away."

Matt nodded.

"This is Walker," he said, "What do you want on your pizzas?"

She ordered one large Supreme with all the works, one Canadian Bacon and pineapple and one vegetarian.

"Okay, we can pass that order along and get them back to you," Walker said.

"And a side of Anchovies," she said.

"Excuse me?"

Brody sighed.

"You heard the lady," he said, "She wants a side of the little fishies that make any good food better."

"Okay," Walker said, writing it down, "We'll get you some bottled water as well. How is everyone doing?"

"Okay," she said, "We've got one woman here who's about nine months pregnant and she might be going into labor."

"Is she having contractions," Walker asked.

"No, but she's having mild pains that come and go," C.J. said.

"How are you doing?"

She hesitated.

"I'm doing okay," she said, "I wish I could tell my fiancé that I'm fine and that I love him and not to worry."

"We're going to get you all out of there," Walker said, "and you can tell him yourself, okay?"

A man's voice broke on the line.

"The clock is ticking on your end so you'd better start working on my list of demands," Duke said, "I'll be calling back to check on your progress in about an hour."

The phone clicked off and Matt started pacing, running his hand through his hair.

"Look Mr. Houston," Walker said, "I know that was hard but if you'd said anything to her, those men would have keyed on her individually and that's the last thing you want in this kind of situation."

"I know that," Matt said, "And I know that it's not easy for you either because your wife's trapped in there as well."

Walker nodded.

"We've got to put whatever emotions we're experiencing on ice, because they're not going to help us here."

"Agreed," Matt said, "So what are you going to do when Duke figures out as most bank robbers do that he's not getting what he wants?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

* * *

Bruiser brought C.J. back to the office and pushed her inside, closing the door behind her.

"Not a man of many words, is he?"

C.J. brushed off her clothes and saw Alex standing there.

"I guess not," she said, "But that Duke guy is a real creep."

"So when are we getting our pizzas," Alex asked.

"I'm not sure," C.J. said, "Duke had a whole list of demands for the cops and we both know the cops are just going to agree long enough to stall him."

"We've not even gotten to the most dangerous part of this operation yet," Alex said, "when things start going to pieces."

"I know," C.J. said, "We're really going to have to focus on keeping ourselves together so we don't lose it."

Fran walked over.

"I had to get away from Gloria and Gwen and their pity party for a while," she said.

"How's Chris doing," C.J. asked.

Fran shook her head.

"I'm hoping she's not going into labor but I just don't know," she said, "She's napping now."

"I told the police that we had a pregnant woman about ready to give birth so I hope that helps speed things up on their end," C.J. said.

"So they're getting us some food soon?"

C.J. nodded.

"I ordered some pizzas," she said, "and don't worry, the Anchovies will not be touching any of them but will strictly be on the side."

"That's some weird craving you have there," Fran said, "I hope it's not catching."

Alex laughed.

"Don't feel so bad," she said, "For two months, I just had to get my hands on pickles dipped in caramel sauce and not just any sauce mind you, it had to be this custom made brand sold only in one specialty shop as a…"

Fran brightened.

"Don't tell me, body paints right?"

Alex flushed.

"Well, yes…I guess they're called that."

"I wish I had that kind of craving," Fran said, "I went through a whole slew of cravings with the twins. Nothing that took me to a…specialty shop."

"I'm hoping that this thing with Anchovies isn't permanent," C.J. said.

"You could put them in the wedding cake," Fran said.

C.J. looked horrified.

"I don't think so," she said, "The smell alone…"

"Okay, I take that back," Fran said, "So are you changing the wedding date?"

"I don't think so," C.J. said, "Of course I haven't even told Houston the news yet."

"He's going to want to get married sooner," Fran guessed.

"You might be right, especially with a baby on the way," C.J. said, "but I don't want to pressure him to change the date."

"Wait a minute here," Fran said, "Wasn't he the one who wanted to get married right after he proposed?"

C.J. crossed her arms.

"We're in the middle of a hurricane," she said, "It's not like that was going to happen."

"So when he proposed, what did you say?"

C.J. searched her memories, smiling.

"He started getting all serious when we were eating frozen Wolfgang Puck's pizza on the bed and before he got the words out, I said of course I'd marry him."

"How did he react," Fran said, leaning forward.

C.J.'s face grew pink.

"He was very happy, overjoyed I'd say," she said, "And then we…well that's private."

"It won't be when people count backwards at the wedding," Fran said.

Alex watched the two friends bantering back and forth, bemused. She had never had that many female friends in her life. Even when she had been growing up, most of her friends had been male. Seeing how close C.J. was to Chris and Fran reminded her of what she had missed.

"So where is the wedding going to be held," Alex said.

"I don't know," C.J. said, "We haven't gotten that far in the planning."

* * *

Matt pulled out his cell phone after it started ringing.

"Hello Dan," he said.

"Hi, I have just been watching the television here in Houston," he said.

"About the bank robbery?"

"Yeah, and I haven't heard from Chris," Dan said, "I've called several times and she's not picking up her phone."

Matt sighed.

"Was she with C.J.?"

"Yeah…I think she was meeting her for lunch but that was a while ago."

"Dan, C.J. was inside that bank when it got robbed," he said, "Now she's doing as fine as can be expected but if Chris was with her at the time…"

"I'm thinking since she hasn't called, that might be the case."

"She's very pregnant isn't she?"

"Yeah of course," Dan said, "Why?"

Matt rubbed his forehead.

"Because C.J. said when she was giving us an order for food that one of the women in there was nine months pregnant."

Silence met Matt's words.

"Are you there, Dan?"

"…Yeah I'm here," Dan said, "Oh my God."

"Now don't worry," Matt said, "Brody and I flew on the jet out to Houston the moment I got off the phone with C.J. She had called me just at the time the robbers first took over the bank."

"So where are you now?"

"I'm at a mobile command center with a bunch of Houston cops and several Texas Rangers," Matt said.

"I'm on my way," Dan said, then the phone line went silent.

Matt turned towards Walker.

"That's Dan," he said, "He's an ex-cop who owns a security firm."

Walker nodded.

"Does he by chance know who designed the bank's security?"

"I can ask him when he arrives," Matt said, "But his wife's the pregnant woman."

"Great," Walker said, "All of us have people in there that we care about and that's going to complicate matters."

Syd and Gage walked up to them.

"What's up," Walker asked.

His two agents looked at each other.

"We might have found something that can help us get in."

"Good," Walker said, "We might need it especially when negotiations begin to fall apart."

"The pizzas here already," Sydney said, "Now we have to figure out who gets to deliver it because we can't afford to send a real delivery person in that bank."

Walker rubbed his chin.

"We need someone they won't suspect," he said, "And we can't take a risk that the robbers might recognize one of us and take another hostage or worse, start killing the ones they have."

Brody stepped up.

"I'll be more than happy to volunteer," he said.

Matt turned to look at his friend.

"You really think you can do this?"

"Hell yeah," Brody said, "I worked undercover for years with the LAPD and I'm not from Texas."

Walker nodded.

"He's got a point," he said, "It's possible one or more of the robbers might recognize one of us."

"And it's got to be someone who doesn't have family inside," Matt said, "That makes Brody a perfect choice."

Walker agreed.

"We need someone who can put their feelings aside so the robbers won't sense something's up."

"Just get me an outfit from the pizza company," Brody said, "Preferably one that fits?"

Walker nodded and sent someone to get one.

"Okay, before we send anyone in, we've got to have a plan on how to do this," Walker said.

"Is there any way we can send a message for them to hold tight until we can get in," Matt asked.

"Maybe," Walker said, "But we'll have to hide it well."

"I can do that," Brody said, "No problem. Just tell me what you want me to do once I get inside."

"You won't be able to do much," Walker said, "But if you could bring back a mental picture of the layout of the bank, that will be the most helpful."

Brody nodded.

"Sure thing," he said.

The phone rang behind them and all of them froze, knowing who was calling for an update. Walker went over and picked up the phone.

"Hello…"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9---Here's the latest installment of the cross-fiction. Hope you enjoy it and thanks for the feedback!

* * *

Walker picked up the phone.

"This is Walker," he said.

"This is Duke," he said, "I'm checking on the progress of that pizza."

Walker looked around the room.

"It's here," he said, "We'll be sending it in."

"I want to have the original pizza delivery person bring it in," Duke said, pacing on his end of the phone, "and no funny stuff or you know what I'll do."

"There's no need to talk that way Duke," Walker said, "We've done everything you've asked so far and we're processing your demands."

Duke's laughter sounded harsh against Walker's ears.

"Don't give me that line," Duke said, "We both know that you're just buying time for your SWAT snipers to set up on the roofs of the surrounding buildings."

"Well, we've got to protect our own men," Walker said, "Surely, you can understand that."

Silence followed.

"We'll have to take actions on our end if you try anything," Duke warned, "and we'll start by killing the first hostage."

"Okay, well let's not worry about what might happen right now. We need to get some people fed," Walker said, "We'll be bringing in the pizza."

"We'll have someone pick it up," Duke said.

"The exchange will take place in public view," Walker said, "and we'll be covering the delivery person. We are not just going to be handing you another hostage."

Duke laughed.

"I've got enough already to last me through this even if I have to start shooting them all."

His words chilled Walker because of the complete lack of concern in the man's voice for human life. Then again, after reading Johnson's rap sheet, he knew he was dealing with scum. But he also knew that while Johnson might be the alpha leader of his gang, the others weren't sociopaths like Johnson which gave Walker and his men something to work on during what was certainly going to be a prolonged hostage siege.

"We'll meet with you in a few minutes," Walker said, and listened as Duke hung up the phone.

Walker turned to Matt and Brady.

"Is he ready to go in," he asked.

Brody smiled and put on his delivery cap.

"All I need are some pizzas and I'm ready to roll."

* * *

C.J. and Fran sat with Chris who just held her belly, but seemed more relaxed than she had been earlier.

"How are you feeling," C.J. asked. "Bad?"

Chris shook her head.

"I think I'm past the worst of it," she said, "Maybe the baby's decided to wait until we're out of this mess."

C.J. stroked her friend's forehead.

"I'm sure that's the case," she said, "We'll get out of here soon."

Chris nodded.

"I hope so," she said, "I've got to get through my last two days of work and then start working on that damn nursery."

"Maybe Fran and I can help you with that," C.J. said.

Chris pushed herself up.

"I thought you and Matt were going to a conference," she said.

C.J. shrugged.

"Yeah well, there's always other conferences," she said, "He can go with Carlos and Dan to that crazy car show and us girls can order in some takeout and work on turning that office space of yours into a nursery for your baby."

Chris smiled widely.

"Thanks so much," she said, "It just seems so overwhelming sometimes, not that I'm not excited, but geez, bringing a new life into the world."

"You're going to be a great mother," C.J. said, "You've done a great job with Butterfly."

"I hope so," Chris said, "I can't do any worse than Fran here…"

"Hey," Fran said, "Are you knocking my child rearing skills?"

Chris shook her head.

"No, just checking to see if you were paying attention."

Fran looked at both of them.

"Well, C.J. why don't you tell her your news?"

C.J. looked up.

"What, what did you say?"

Fran grinned.

"Just trying to see if you're paying attention."

Now Chris looked at her friend closely.

"What is she talking about?"

C.J. looked at Fran, her jaw set.

"I haven't even told Houston yet and I wanted to tell him first."

Chris looked between the two women and then she nodded, slowly.

"You're…"

Fran couldn't wait and interjected.

"Yep, she's knocked up."

C.J. glared at Fran.

"Really," Chris asked.

"You remember that time when she and Matt disappeared for a couple of days during that Hurricane…Gracie was it?"

C.J.'s mouth opened in protest.

"Well…"

Chris's face brightened.

"That's so wonderful," she said, "I'm so happy for both of you. Matt's going to be thrilled when he finds out."

"I know he will be, if we ever get out of here," C.J. said.

The door opened and Bruiser walked in. Everyone looked up at him.

"Hey ladies, your pizza's arrived," he said, then he gestured to C.J, "You get up and come with me."

She stood up and walked towards Bruiser, who grabbed her by the arm.

"C.J…" Chris said.

She turned around to look at them.

"I'll be fine," she said, "and I'll be bringing back some food."

* * *

She awakened to the warmth of his arms around her and she opened her eyes. He remained asleep next to her, still holding onto her. She wondered what time of day or night it was and decided it didn't matter. Everything she needed right now remained inside the bedroom.

She had accepted his proposal without thinking, before he could even finish getting the words out. He had slipped the ring on her finger and then she had embraced him, her tears spilling on his robe until she slipped it off his shoulders.

Now, she lay back thinking about the future that had remained out of reach for a long time. Then she felt his arms squeeze her closer and she realized he had woken up even before he spoke.

"So do you think this Hurricane Gracie's ever going to leave Houston?"

The corners of her mouth turned up in a smile.

"I don't think I care at this point," she said.

"Well, we've got a wedding to plan," he said.

She moved in his arms to look at him.

"What do you mean," she said.

"Well, we just got engaged and I'm thinking, why wait?"

She chuckled.

"Where are we going to find a minister in the middle of a hurricane?"

He sighed.

"Good point," he said, "I thought through rain, snow and sleet and then realized that was for mailmen."

"Houston, I want our friends and family to be there," she said, "Not the world, just the people who mean a lot to us."

He nodded.

"Okay, what about next week?"

She slapped him playfully.

"I don't even have a dress," she said.

He looked her up and down and smiled.

"You look beautiful without one," he said.

She started to melt but she had to remain firm.

"No, I want a simple wedding that we can plan that involves our friends and family," she said, "And I want to hold it on that property we're fixing up."

"We're still working on the house," Matt said "to get it done before winter."

C.J. knew that was true. They did a lot of the work on the old ranch house themselves when they weren't traveling or working, from ripping out the old flooring and reinstalling new hard wood, to picking out the tiles they wanted on the new roof. When they saw the house, they knew they wanted it, but it didn't take long to realize how much work it would take to bring it back to life. Then she and Matt were also looking at adjacent parcels to purchase to add to their homestead after he returned from L.A. Several including one adjacent to a lake looked promising but there might be competition for that property from other prospective buyers. Then there were several barns to rehabilitate to get ready for their horses.

Still, the labor of love connected them to their new home and she fell more in love with it every time she saw it. Like she did, the man lying next to her.

"I think it will be ready by Christmas," she said, "and we can combine a house-warming party with a wedding."

He considered that carefully then nodded.

"I guess I can wait that long, if I get to hire the band…and we have our own private house warming party first."

She smiled at him, her cheeks warming.

"Deal."

* * *

Matt sat outside the command center, watching the activity surrounding him. He watched as officers fitted Brody with a wire located beneath his pizza delivery outfit which mercifully did fit. He stood up, twirled around for a final inspection.

He walked up to Matt.

"I guess I'm ready to go," he said, "Though when this is all over, I'm going over to Pizza Madness and having a serious discussion about their logo."

Matt grimaced.

"If you're not up to this…"

Brody put his hand up.

"Did I say that I wasn't," he said, "Remember just a few hours ago we were dressed up like priests."

Matt grew serious.

"You will check to make sure she's doing okay," he said.

Brody nodded.

"Sure thing," he said, "And I know that she is doing fine. She's probably making sure everyone else is doing fine."

"Yeah, she's not always good at taking care of herself."

"Sounds like someone else I know," Brody said, "And you've given her a lot of sleepless nights with what you've gotten yourself into."

"I know," Matt said, rubbing his forehead, "She's always been there for me no questions asked."

"Hey she loves you," Brody said, "although I can't see what she sees in you. I think she needs her head examined but she just laughs every time I bring it up."

Walker approached both of them.

"Are you ready," he asked.

"Ready and willing to get this gig going," Brody said.

Matt looked at his friend.

"Don't screw this up," he said, "or I will have your hide."

"Gotcha," he said, reaching for the stack of pizzas from a teenaged delivery person who looked completely out of his element.

He started to leave, then Matt tapped him on the shoulder.

"You forget the side of Anchovies," he said, handing him the smelly bag.

Brody hit his head. He grabbed the bag, opened it up and then inhaled, with a smile.

"Oh yeah, can't leave without these babies," he said, "Wait, I've got something to do first."

He walked away, leaving Matt and Walker wondering what he was up to before he returned, ready to go.

* * *

Bruiser pulled C.J. to the window where they could both be seen by the army of police and Texas Rangers waiting outside. Johnson walked up to where Bruiser and C.J. stood and they waited until they saw Brody heading towards them with the pizzas in his arms.

"Did you hide the wire well," Matt said.

Walker sighed.

"They're going to look for one, but I don't think they'll find it."

Brody walked up to the bank in a sea of silence as everyone stood waiting to see what would happen next. The bank door opened slowly and he walked inside. A man carrying a shotgun poked his head out and then closed the door behind him.

C.J. looked up and saw Brody standing there in a ridiculous outfit carrying pizzas. Her eyes widened slightly but she kept her face neutral.

Brody looked around, taking in the scenery.

"So who gets the pizzas?"

Bruiser released C.J. and nudged her forward.

"Get them," he said.

She looked at Bruiser then walked slowly towards Brody. He passed the pizzas off to her and she looked inside the box.

"Where the…"

"Here they are," he said, "I had to ask the cook twice about it. You see, we don't get side orders for Anchovies very often."

She nodded.

"I like them," she said, "Especially lately."

He smiled.

"I always like them," he said, "the more the merrier I say."

"Stop talking," Johnson said, loudly, "Back away from her."

Brody held his hands up and stepped backward.

"Hey, I didn't mean anything by it," he said, "It's just that she's kind of cute and all…"

Bruiser pointed a gun at him.

"Leave," he said.

"No need to ask me twice," Brody said, "I know how to take a hint."

He left the bank. Johnson told Bruiser and Harley to inspect the pizzas for any hidden wires or microphones.

"I don't see any," Bruiser said, gazing wistfully at the Canadian Bacon and pineapple.

Harley also shook his head in response.

Johnson sighed. He looked at C.J. who stood there watching them.

"Okay, you take these pizzas to the women," he said, "Harley, take this stack to the men."

* * *

C.J. followed Bruiser back to the office where the women stayed and he opened the door while she walked inside.

"Oh my God, is that pizza," Missy said, from across the room.

C.J. nodded, putting it on the desk.

"We've got different types here so take which one you like," she said, "Just keep your hands off the Anchovies."

Gloria wrinkled her nose as she approached the table.

"Is that what that horrid smell is," she said.

"What's so horrible," C.J. said, "They smell wonderful. Why don't you try some pizza instead?"

Gloria folded her arms.

"I can't," she said, "I'm on a diet."

Fran snorted as she came up to grab a couple of pieces of the Supreme Deluxe.

"You've got to be kidding me," she said, "You're stuck in the middle of a bank robbery looking at the only food you might ever see again and you're still on a diet?"

Gloria looked at her manicured nails.

"I've got to make weight on the set tomorrow for a commercial," she said, "It might be my big break."

"News flash girl," Fran said, "You probably aren't going to make your make up call because we'll still be here."

Gloria pouted.

"I know," she said, "What's taking the police so long to get us out of here?"

C.J. started eating her Anchovies.

"They've got a lot on their plate, Gloria," she said, "I'm sure they're doing the best they can."

C.J. walked and sat down next to Alex who watched her eat bemusedly.

"You're craving Anchovies?"

C.J. nodded.

"Yeah, I like them but not this much," she said, "I can't seem to think of eating anything else."

Alex smiled.

"Yeah, well don't worry, the cravings will change and if you're like me, they'll get a lot stranger by the time they're done."

C.J. picked out an Anchovy and looked at it thoughtfully.

"I knew the pizza delivery guy," she said.

Alex looked at her, puzzled.

"What do you mean you knew him?"

"It's Brody, Houston's partner." C.J. said, "But they're supposed to be meeting in L.A. over the agency, not delivering pizzas in Texas."

"Maybe he and your fiancé flew out here when they heard the news."

"I was on the phone with Houston when the robbers started taking over the bank," she said, "Maybe he heard the commotion through the phone line."

"So who's this Brody?"

"He's an ex-LAPD cop who Houston hired to help him run his business after I moved out here," C.J. said, "He's a cool guy, very capable of handling anything and he's got more of a thing for Anchovies than I do."

"Then he sounds like a good man for Walker to have in his corner," Alex said, "Walker won't work with anyone who's less than the best."

"Brody was top-notch LAPD," C.J. said, "He came highly recommended by Capt. Hoyt, who's a good friend of ours."

"That's great then," Alex said, "We're in good hands."

* * *

Brody reached Matt and Walker after leaving the bank.

"So what did you find out," Walker asked.

"There's about three or four robbers," he said, "I can't be sure. They have at least a dozen hostages and they've segregated them by sex."

"I would imagine they're paying closer attention to the men," Walker said, "What about the bug?"

"I think it landed in the main lobby," Brody said.

"You think," Matt said.

"Hey, they kept a pretty close eye on me the entire time," Brody said, "I did the best I could."

Walker nodded. Matt looked at his friend, closely.

"How's…"

"Matt, she's doing fine," Brody said, "In fact, she's the one who picked up the pizzas. Though I'm not sure the Anchovies are safe in her hands."

Matt looked puzzled.

"What?"

"I'll explain it to you later," Brody said, "Strange, my wife was repelled by them…"

"Look, we have to factor into the equation that this is probably going to be a prolonged standoff," Walker said, "We have to keep them in a holding pattern on their demands until we come up with a strategic plan to free the hostages."

"And when that happens, that's when it's going to be most dangerous," Matt said.

Walker nodded.

"That's usually the case," he said.

Matt paced, running his hand through his hair.

"We'll just have to make sure that's not the case this time."

Walker sighed, watching the younger man's restlessness.

"That's where the feds might be useful," he said, "The FBI is on its way."

A police officer walked up to them.

"There's a man outside, who says he talked to one of you," she said, "His wife is in there and she's nine months pregnant."

"That's Dan," Matt said, "He's an ex-cop from Houston and runs a security firm," Matt said, "He might be key to figuring out what kind of system was installed in this bank."

"Let him in," Walker told the officer, who left.

"I hope that we can find a vulnerability in the bank's design or security system that we can exploit," he said, "before it gets to a point where the robbers realize that they're not getting what they want and they begin shooting hostages."

Dan strode up to them.

"There you are," he said, "What the hell is going on here?"

Matt looked at Walker.

"Some men robbed a bank while C.J. and Chris were inside," he said.

"My wife's in there too," Walker said, "and we're doing everything we can to resolve this situation and get everyone out safely."

"Carlos called me," Dan said, "He's in Chicago and saw it on television. He told me Fran's not returning his calls."

"What about their kids," Matt asked.

"Fran's sitter called Carlos and he told her that his sister will pick them up," Dan said.

"Dan, do you know anything about who installed the bank's security system?"

Dan sighed, trying to remain calm.

"It wasn't my company," he said, "It might have been done by one based in Dallas. I could get in touch with them. I know someone there."

Walker nodded.

"Go ahead and contact him," he said.

Dan walked out to use his cell phone.

"He's just in shock," Matt said, "He'll calm down and get right down to it. Dan's the ultimate professional. Besides, he did hostage negotiation when he was a cop."

"That might be useful," Walker said, stepping out of the room.

* * *

Walker went to the coffee machine to pour himself another cup. He wanted something much stronger, but knew that he had to stay strong for his wife and the other hostages. Damn, it was difficult, knowing that she sat inside the darkened building at the mercy of hardened criminals including one very unstable one in Duke Johnson.

She came into the bedroom where he lay reading the newspaper to their daughter, who contented herself with tearing up the comics section.

"Don't eat that honey," Alex said, pulling a piece of paper illustrating a Peanuts panel out of her daughter's hand before it ended up in her mouth.

"It looks like you got some good press today," Walker said, handing her the Metro section.

She nodded.

"Guilty verdicts on every count," she said, "That's rare in a corruption case."

He took her hand and she sat next to him on the bed.

"I know how hard you worked on that case and how frustrating it got…"

"Walker, I felt like I was going against the County supervisors every step of the day," she said, "Even my own boss, the D.A., didn't seem to want this case to go forward."

Walker shook his head.

"Well, some of them and their aides might be next in line to be indicted by grand juries," he said, "But you were incredible in that courtroom Alex. I was so proud of you and I know Angela would be too."

Alex laughed.

"I think she's more interested in eating the paper than reading it," she said, "But I get your point and thanks."

"So what now," he asked.

She grew thoughtful. He watched the emotions play out on her face and knew something serious was coming.

"Walker…I am thinking of submitting my letter of resignation to the D.A.'s office."

He looked at her.

"Alex…"

She shook her head.

"I know it's a major decision to make and I should have consulted you but I can't stay there," she said, "I'm a prosecutor down to my bones, not a politician."

"I know that," he said, "That's one of the reasons I fell in love with you. I know why you're doing this, but I also know you love going after bad guys, so what will you do?"

"I'm not running off and becoming a defense attorney for sure," she said, "I did get an officer from the U.S. Attorney's office to work for them and I'm thinking of taking it."

And she had done just as she said. She quit working for the county and took her skills and her drive to become a federal prosecutor and as it became apparent soon enough, a damned fine one. She had to travel more to handle cases including this latest one in Houston but she earned more money and seemed happier and more energized than she had in the Dallas office. She felt settled in her life with Walker and Angela except for wanting to expand their family.

He wanted that too, more than he had told her. But he feared for her health and safety, given that he believed that they had narrowly avoided tragedy the first time. He had felt blessed holding his daughter in his arms for the first time and finally feeling like he had everything in his life that he ever needed. Could he challenge the fates to keep his wife healthy and safe if they tried again for another blessing?

He sighed, knowing that his wife wanted this badly, badly enough to risk it all for bringing in a new life created in love shared between the two of them. Thinking back to their conversation, he wished he had been able to give her what she wanted. He hoped that he would be given a second chance to try having that conversation again.

* * *

"I really miss Angela," Alex said, "Right now, I'm usually giving her a bath and getting her ready to settle in for the night."

After finishing their pizza, Alex and C.J. had sat in the corner, trying hard to relax. Chris had fallen asleep again and Fran sat watching her.

"I'm sure you'll get your chance to do that tomorrow night," C.J. said, "We're going to get out of here."

"I really want to have another child so that Angela will have someone close to her in age to grow up with and build memories to take with them."

C.J. smiled.

"I always wanted a sister or brother," she said, "That's what Houston and I have in common. We were both only children."

"So you're planning a large family?"

"We were planning on having kids down the road," she said, "But yeah, we were thinking at least three, close together in age."

"That's a good plan," Alex said, "It'll still work, just a little bit earlier than you thought. There's nothing wrong with starting early."

"We're working on renovating an old house," C.J. said, "Fortunately, it has plenty of room. It's just a matter of getting it done so we can move in before winter. Now with a baby coming, it's going to be a challenge."

"I love our house," Alex said, "It's spacious but comfortable at the same time and we have plenty of open land."

C.J. nodded.

"That's what we want," she said, "We both grew up on ranches and I always missed living on wide open space when I lived in different cities. I think Houston did too."

"There's no substitute for living surrounded by nature on this earth," Alex said, "I want our kids to learn to appreciate it so they'll grow up believing it's worth preserving and passing down to their kids."

"That sounds really nice," C.J. said.

* * *

Matt and Walker waited to see if the bug planted in the bank was yielding any useful information. The technician fiddled clicked his mouse on the computer screen and then looked at them.

"It's not picking up anything yet," he said, "They could be in another location."

Another officer came up to them.

"What's up," Walker asked.

"The federal agents have arrived."

Walker sighed, thinking things were going to get interesting very quickly.

"Bring them in," he said.

Matt stood there waiting for their arrival.

"I hope they're a help and not a hindrance."

Walker took a sip of coffee.

"Like I said, I only work with men and women I have confidence in and that includes the feds."

Matt nodded, and then he saw two men enter the trailer. His eyes widened.

One of the man approached and extended his hand to introduce himself.

"I'm…"

Matt made a fist with one of his hands to punch him in the jaw. Brody saw what he was doing and grabbed his arm before he could do it.

"What the hell…."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10--I've finished another installment of the cross-fiction story. It's really interesting trying to combine two sets of characters. I hope this story makes some sense, but it's fun to write! I hope you enjoy it and thanks for the comments!

* * *

Brody stepped in just in time to prevent Matt from punching the federal agent.

"Matt, you can't do this," he said, stepping in between them.

Matt nodded and withdrew his fist.

"You're right," he said, "But this agent put people's lives at risk during the last time we crossed paths with him."

"I'm not arguing with that," Brody said.

"Make that the last two times."

Walker looked back and forth, first in confusion then in consternation.

"What the hell's going on here," he asked.

The FBI agent brushed off his suit and glared at Matt.

"I'm Federal Special Agent Simon Denton, with the Texas office."

Matt shook his head thinking that right now the world just wasn't large enough.

"What are you doing here," he said.

Simon glared at Matt.

"I was dispatched to respond to a bank robbery and hostage situation in progress," Simon said, "The better question is what you're doing here behind police lines."

Matt shot him a steely look back.

"Why did they send you," he said, "Didn't they know how you handled or rather mishandled the Stefan Kostas mess?"

Simon's face darkened.

"The agency's internal review process fully investigated that situation and found no wrongdoing on the part of my agents or myself."

"What'd they do give you a promotion," Matt said, incredulous, "Don't answer that."

Walker interjected himself between the two men.

"Obviously you two have a history that you're going to both have to put aside," he said, "We need to focus on what's at hand and getting those hostages out of that bank alive."

"I'm willing to do that," Simon said.

Matt nodded.

Simon pulled out some papers.

"These documents authorize us to take control of this situation," he said, "It's now a federal matter."

"What," Walker said, looking at them, "Since when?"

"Since Johnson broke out of a federal facility and we always move in on bank robberies anyway," Simon said.

"I thought this would be a joint operation," Walker said.

Matt set his jaw.

"You better get used to it, Walker," he said, "This guy always takes over a situation and makes a mess out of it. The last time, I ended up in a two day coma and I wasn't even the worst casualty."

"Mr. Houston, we had no idea that Stefan Kostas, the pharmaceutical importer was…"

"Stefan Kostas, the human trafficker and drug dealer," Matt finished.

"You can't blame us for your own actions that put you at risk," Simon said.

The other federal agent walked in and Matt sighed, when he saw him. The world had just gotten a lot smaller.

"Jonathan," he said, "You just passing through to say hi?"

"Hi Matt, "Jonathan said, "What are you doing here?"

"I see you couldn't give up the pin striped suits," Matt said.

Jonathan smiled.

"Actually the FBI uses a much better dry cleaning service than the U.S. Marshals," he said.

"How's the wife?"

"She's settling in Dallas fine," he said, "I think I'm going to like this assignment much better than working in D.C."

"C.J.'s in there," Matt said, "Along with Chris and possibly Fran."

Jonathan nodded, solemnly.

"I knew about C.J.," he said, "Walker said she was there with his wife, Alex."

"So what do you feds propose we do?"

Jonathan sighed.

"I know you don't trust us, Matt," he said, "And maybe you have reason…"

"I'd say so after what happened to C.J. when she worked with them, what happened when she got kidnapped and came to them for help after escaping. Not to mention what happened four months ago in L.A."

Simon's face reddened.

"I can't believe he's got the audacity to blame us for that," he said.

Jonathan raised his hand.

"No, I agree with him," he said, "the FBI screwed up royally. We should have known about Kostas' dark side. After all, you would have thought we would have learned our lesson with Andre Duval."

"But…" Simon stammered.

"And when C.J. told everyone there was something strange about Kostas after she…met him, we should have taken that as seriously as Matt did."

"But…"

"Let me finish," Jonathan said, "We need to answer for the Kostas situation but we need to get through this crisis first and to do that, we all need to put aside our differences and work together as one unit."

Walker sighed, after listening to the conversation for a while.

"I agree," he said, "And we've got to act quickly. Johnson's not the most stable individual and he'll probably start showing signs of that soon."

Simon nodded and gestured to the others.

"You're right," he said, "Let's meet in the planning room in about five minutes."

* * *

C.J. and Alex had first met years earlier while C.J. did her stint with the public defenders' office in Houston and Alex had clocked in several years with the District Attorney's office down the street. Fresh out of Harvard Law School, C.J. knew she had only her clerkship with renowned attorney F. Lee Bailey to arm herself against the reality of practicing criminal defense law but she looked forward to what it would be like outside the classroom. Bailey had often told her to talk loudly in court and use that as her stick but she found it challenging at first to put his advice into practice. Still, she loved her job, defending the underdog, those people who were unable to afford their own attorney.

Especially those who were innocent like her client in the case which pitted her against Alex.

C.J. knew her client hadn't committed the crime and she knew she could handle the case but she wasn't prepared to take it to trial in part because she had hundreds of other cases on her plate competing for her time. Her supervisor had praised her talents and her work ethic before telling her she believed she was ready for her first trial. C.J. hoped this case would be it.

In the meantime, Alex and she still ran into each other in the courthouse and even had a quick lunch together at a bustling mall across from the building now and then. A couple times they met for drinks at a Tex-Mex spot after a hard day's work, usually at the end of the week with other young attorneys all willing to toss aside their respective affiliations for a few hours of escaping from their busy careers.

Tonight, a freakish autumn storm had kept most everyone at home but C.J. had ventured out to the restaurant to meet up with any other brave (and bored) souls to kick back with some good food and better margueritas on a slow Friday night.

Alex sat alone looking withdrawn when C.J. pulled up a chair. It didn't take C.J. long to figure out why when she saw the other woman's face.

She reacted despite herself, feeling sick inside.

"Who did that," she asked about the fading bruise on Alex's cheek.

Alex tried to smile but her eyes hid a world of pain.

"I would tell you I hit a wall or a doorway when I wasn't looking but I know that won't wash," she said, with a deep sigh, "So I'll just tell you that my boyfriend is now my ex-boyfriend."

"That must have hurt," C.J. said, "Are you okay?"

Alex nodded.

"I'm now," she said, "But I wasn't the other night. I kicked him out and I'm not seeing him anymore."

"That's good," C.J. said, "The abuse never stops even when they say they're sorry."

Alex shook her head.

"I should have seen it coming, I mean I am a prosecutor and have handled domestic violence cases," Alex said, "But…"

"It's different when it's you, compared to when you're helping someone else who's being abused," C.J. said, "Everything's different when it's personal."

Both C.J. and Alex ordered Margueritas from the waitress, who placed bowls of chips and salsa in front of them. C.J. dove in hers right away, drenching her chips with salsa.

"You're sure hungry," Alex said.

"Yeah, I just got off the phone with Jonathan," C.J. said, making a face.

"He's still upset with you about going away that weekend?"

C.J. nodded.

"I told him that it was a weekend spent in L.A. with my best friend," she said, "Houston and I spent most of the time talking about his company and where he wanted to take it."

"The one he's taken over from his father," Alex said, "the one that Matt wants you to work with him on building up and taking in a new direction."

C.J. dipped another chip in the salsa.

"Well yeah, he's asked me several times to work with him," she said, "But I like my job here a lot. I don't know if I'm ready to just pack up and move. And corporate law, I'm not sure it's a good fit. "

Alex smiled, stirring her drink.

"What did you do the rest of the time in L.A.?"

C.J. picked some lint off of her shirt.

"We just talked, went hiking and we spent time in Malibu with some friends," he said, "Houston's thinking of buying a house there if he decides to stay in L.A."

"So Jonathan was upset because he thought you and Matt are more than friends? That you're…involved?"

Alex could tell by the look on C.J.'s face that she'd hit the nail on the head.

"Yeah, and we're not. I just don't think Jonathan believes that men and women can just be good friends," C.J. said.

Alex finally started in on her chips after staring at them for a while.

"Friendships between men and women can be tricky to navigate through some times because usually at least one person wants more than the other."

C.J. shrugged.

"Not Houston and I," she said, "We've been friends since we were kids."

"Well, if it works for you," Alex said, "Then that's really great."

C.J. dunked another chip in the salsa.

"Besides, Jonathan's graduating from his second course at Quantico in a few weeks and then he gets his new assignment which could be anywhere in the country. So we'd be back to having a long-distance relationship."

"So you're back together with him?"

The waitress brought them their drinks.

"Maybe…I don't know," C.J. said, "I love Jonathan but I just don't think I'm in love with him."

"Ah," Alex said, taking a sip of her drink, "That's where things get awkward."

"Tell me about it. So I don't think we're getting back together," C.J. said, "But I hope we can still be friends."

"That's going to take some working through to see if that happens," Alex said, "But what do I know about friendships with guys? Why that Cordell…"

C.J. brightened.

"Cordell Walker," she said, "He seemed very nice at that party for the judges at the Hilton, but he's not from here…"

"He's based in Dallas," Alex said, "and I don't know if we're even friends. We spent most of that party arguing with each other."

C.J. laughed.

"But it was a good argument," she said, "And he's kind of cute in a take charge kind of way."

Alex snorted.

"I think he just likes to push my buttons," she said.

C.J. cocked her head.

"I think he didn't like the guy you were with and that he was worried about you. He was right about your ex-boyfriend," C.J. said, "I don't think Houston really likes Jonathan that much either but for different reasons."

Alex leaned forward.

"Why is that do you think?"

C.J. thought about it.

"They're so different," she said, "Houston is hard charging, at work and play and he wears his heart on his sleeve, whereas Jonathan's more by the book always, and more reserved."

"Do you think that Matt didn't take to Jonathan or just didn't take to your relationship with him?"

C.J. looked up at Alex in surprise and put the marguerita she nearly sipped back down on the table. She didn't have an answer to that question for quite a while.

* * *

C.J. woke up to Fran shaking her shoulder. She looked up at her friend who had a worried expression on her face.

"Is it Chris," she said.

Fran nodded.

"She's having those strange pains again," she said, "You know the ones I said you have to watch out for?"

"I remember," C.J. said, "We'd better go see what's going on with her baby."

The three of them walked over to where Chris lay on the floor. Her face had broken out in a light sweat and she looked uncomfortable. C.J. sat down beside her.

"So what's going on," she asked.

Chris tilted her head up.

"I don't know," she said, "I was feeling like normal and then those funny twinges returned."

"Are they frequent?"

"Not really," she said, "Every 15 minutes or so and they're fairly mild."

Fran studied her friend.

"Yeah, compared to what comes next if you are really giving birth."

Chris gave her an annoyed look.

"Thanks for reminding me of what's in store for me while I'm lying on the floor in the middle of the night in some banker's office," she said.

C.J. ran her hand through her hair, trying to think.

"You're going to be fine," she said, "Just relax and do some of that breathing they tell women to do."

Fran nodded.

"I'll help you," she said, "See, you go like this…"

"Dan and I have been attending Lamaze regularly," Chris said.

C.J. stood up and Alex followed her apart from the other two women. She paced back and forth for a few feet each way trying to collect her thoughts.

"I don't know what these pains mean," she said, "I don't know anything about having babies."

Alex smiled.

"I didn't either," she said, "But it could be Braxton-Hicks contractions."

C.J. nodded.

"Those are the false contractions, aren't they?"

"Yes, the body uses them to get in shape for the delivery usually several weeks before it takes place," Alex said, "When's her due date?"

C.J. counted in her head.

"I think in two to three weeks," she said.

"Then it's possible that these aren't real contractions," Alex said, "But on the other hand, it could be premature labor."

"Oh."

"Yeah, and it could be lengthy meaning it could last for hours or days," Alex said, "or it could happen really quickly."

"Either way, we've got to get Chris to a hospital," C.J. said, "They're just going to have to let her go."

C.J. walked towards the office door. Alex followed her.

"Wait, what are you doing," she asked.

C.J. turned around to face her.

"I'm going to tell these guys they have to release her," she said, "or she might be having her baby inside a bank."

C.J. opened the door and ran into Bruiser still standing guard outside the door.

"I need to talk to whoever's in charge here," she said, "And I'm pretty sure it's not you so please lead me to your boss or get him for me."

Bruiser stepped back and aimed his gun at her.

"Get back," he said, "or I'm going to shoot."

C.J. stood her ground, looking at him.

"Go ahead," she said, "But aim well because like I said, I've been shot before and it hurts like hell until you lose consciousness and that can take forever."

He paused.

"I mean it," he said.

"Look, I'm sure you do," she said, "But now that we've got that established, I'm not leaving until you let me talk to whoever's in charge here."

He stared at her a long moment and she waited for a response. Finally, he lowered his gun and sighed.

"What do you want," he asked.

"That's better," she said, "We've got a pregnant woman who might be going into labor…"

"You're lying," he said.

"Go in the room and look for yourself," she said, "Hopefully, she won't be too far along because then you're likely to pass out from all the blood."

Bruiser's face turned a couple shades paler.

"And when she starts screaming for an epidural, then what are you going to do," C.J. said folding her arms.

"Okay…" he relented, "I'll go talk to him."

"Hurry," she said, "Because there's no telling when this baby will be born and if it's breech…"

But Bruiser had already headed off to find Duke.

Alex stood by the door, having listened to the exchange.

"Good one," she said, "I'm sure those robbers don't want to have to deal with childbirth in the middle of their standoff. They might let her go."

C.J. nodded.

"That's what I'm hoping."

They went back into the office. Fran looked up.

"I'm not sure these are Braxton-Hicks," she said, "But they're still far apart whatever they are."

"I got the robber standing by the door to go tell the ring leader that Chris is in labor," C.J. said, "We've got to act like she could be giving birth any minute."

Fran nodded.

"Gotcha."

Chris looked nonplussed.

"What the hell is going on here," she said.

"We're trying to get you out of here so you can have your baby," Fran said.

"That works for me," she said, "But what about you guys?"

C.J. knelt beside her friend.

"What matters is getting you out of here so you and your baby will be safe," she said, "As for the rest of us, we'll figure out something."

"Like what?"

"I don't know," C.J. said, "We'll deal with that part when we come to it."

* * *

Walker sat on the steps outside the mobile center, shaking his head. They had just spent 20 minutes sitting in a meeting with the federal agents hoping to hear about a strategic plan only to learn they didn't have one.

Matt saw him and joined him.

"I could have spent the past half hour pacing here outside and that would have been a more productive use of my time," Matt said.

Walker couldn't disagree with him.

"So didn't these guys do any planning before they flew out here?"

Walker stroked his chin.

"Clearly not," he said, "Though it didn't help matters when you tried to punch Agent Denton right when he came through the door."

Matt sighed.

"Probably not, but you can't be too sure about that. He needs someone to knock some sense into him."

"So he really screwed up that Kostas case," Walker said, "I read about that, what a nightmare."

Matt picked up some stray grass and let it fall through his fingers.

"For some of us, yes it was."

"You mean your fiancée?"

Silence met Walker's question and it took a while for Matt to nod in response.

"She knew from the moment she met Kostas that he was evil. She just didn't know why."

"So you took it to the feds?"

Matt rubbed his forehead.

"We tried to do that," he said, "It didn't work. They don't live outside their own bureaucracy."

Walker digested Matt's words including the anger which laced them.

"They're not all like that," he said, "Most federal agents are good, hardworking men and women."

"Maybe that's true," Matt said, "But let's just say, they've dropped the ball too many times and left innocent people to pay the price and I'm not about to let that happen again."

Walker sighed.

"I can't even imagine what you and Ms Parsons went through during the past year or so," he said.

Matt gave him a hard look.

"No you can't," he said.

Walker pondered that.

"But there will be no similar dropping of the ball by federal agents on my watch."

"Didn't you just hear," Matt said, "You lost control of your own operation. Only the people who are now in charge don't even have a plan to get those people out of there."

"Yeah, there's that," Walker admitted, "They should have come more prepared."

"It's too late for that now," Matt said, "Maybe it's time for us to come up with a plan of our own."

Walker started to say something but Brody and Dan walked up, interrupting them.

"What have you heard," Dan said.

"Not much," Matt said, "Except they have no idea what they're planning to do."

Brody sighed in disgust.

"That's how it was when I was in the LAPD," he said, "They left us in the lurch more times than I could count. But on the other hand, most of them were pretty damn good field agents who probably should have been put in charge over some desk jockeys."

"So what's going to happen next," Dan said, "What are the feds going to do to get those hostages out of there?"

Walker paused.

"It's going to be a long, carefully thought out process whatever happens," he said, "You all being ex-cops and military should know how these operations are carried out and how they go down."

Dan nodded.

"Yeah once they do go down, things happen quickly and can spiral out of control," he said.

Walker agreed.

"That can happen but not here," he said, "and without any hostage blood being spilled."

"There's already been bloodshed," Brody said, "I saw some blood on the floor when I was inside."

They all looked at him.

"How much," Walker asked.

Brody shrugged.

"A good amount," he said, "I think someone was shot, probably when this first went down but I didn't see any bodies or injured people."

Dan closed his eyes and walked away from them. Matt looked at the others and followed his friend.

"Damn, if she had gone on her leave earlier…"

Matt put his hand on Dan's shoulder.

"She might have still ended up inside that bank with C.J."

Dan sighed.

"I just feel like I could have done something," he said, "or said something this morning when she left the house."

"I know," Matt said, "I've been thinking the same thing since this happened. C.J. wasn't well yesterday morning and I should have stayed home and postponed my trip to L.A."

Dan chuckled bitterly.

"Now Chris is in the middle of a hostage siege, nine months pregnant with our child…"

Matt paused for a while, gathering his own thoughts.

"It's going to work out," he said, "We'll have to come up with a way, with or without the feds help."

Dan nodded grimly.

* * *

C.J. sat down wearily next to Alex, who handed her a bottle of water. C.J. thanked her and opened it, taking a sip.

"How's Chris," Alex asked.

C.J. looked at her water bottle.

"She's resting," she said, "This could go on for hours even if it is labor and it's been a while since that thug hanging around her went to talk to his leader."

"I don't think they're going to release any hostages, not without getting something in return."

C.J. paused.

"That's what scares me," she said, "Besides this whole thing."

Alex smiled.

"You've held up remarkably well," she said, "How are you feeling?"

"Okay," she said, "Tired, I want to go home."

"Same here," Alex said, "I want a long hot bath with lavender salts and a glass of wine."

"Me too," C.J. said, "Sounds like heaven."

Alex grew quiet.

"I was thinking of how we used to hang out at that Tex-Mex place with the rest of the junior attorney crowd and those great margueritas with real tequila."

C.J. smiled at the memories.

"Yeah, they were perfect for a public defender's salary," she said, "Great food too and...conversation."

"You were a good friend when I needed one," Alex said.

"Things were a bit crazy for me back then too," C.J. said, "Remember that party at the Hilton?"

Alex laughed.

"I talked with Cordell by the bar for a while," C.J. said, "You wound up with the right guy."

"So did you," Alex said, "But I'm not surprised the two of you wound up together."

C.J. furrowed her brow.

"How did you know," he said.

Alex laughed again.

"I spent some time talking with your date," she said, "And he spent the entire time talking about you."

C.J. coughed.

"I'm glad he had a good time," she said, "He didn't like black tied affairs much. He still doesn't"

"I don't think it mattered much if he was pulling at his tie the whole time," Alex said, "Because underneath it all, I saw that he loved you."

* * *

Matt and Brody sat outside nursing more coffee when the door opened and they watched as Jonathan and Simon came out followed by other federal agents.

"What's going on," Matt asked.

Brody shrugged as Walker came back to join them.

"Are they finally going to announce what their strategy is," Matt said.

Walker shrugged.

"I think it's called giving a press conference these days," he said, "and there's one starting in five minutes."

Matt and Brody looked at each other and then got up and joined them.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11---Here's the latest. Sorry it's been so long. I've had vertigo so it's slowing me down a bit. I hope you enjoy reading it and thanks for reading my stories and your feedback!

* * *

Walker and Matt watched as both Simon and Jonathan walked to the podium where about a half dozen microphones from different television networks had been placed jockeying for position on a rack for their press conference.

"I hope this means they have a plan," Walker said.

Gage and Sydney walked up and stood behind them.

"What do you think they're going to say," Gage asked.

Walker shrugged.

"They sure haven't told us much about what their strategy for dealing with these bank robbers is going to be."

Gage crossed his arms.

"I don't like this, Walker," he said, "I don't like it one bit."

Walker turned to look at him and Sydney.

"What did you find?"

"Some underground steam tunnels that don't go anywhere, at least as we can tell."

"They're very old from what I understand," Walker said, "Go check with public works and see if you can get some plans for them."

Gage looked doubtful.

"Do you think they'll be able to find any if they're that old?"

"I guess we'll find out," Walker said.

"Let's go," Sydney said to Gage.

"Yes Ma'am," Gage said.

Sydney rolled her eyes at him but they left together.

* * *

Jonathan stood at the podium and the room grew silent. He introduced himself and Simon to the audience.

"All right, I know you're wondering why we're taking over this operation that's been a joint effort of both the Houston Police Department and the Texas Rangers, but the FBI does have jurisdiction over this bank robbery and hostage situation. We have full confidence in the work being done by our law enforcement brethren and merely want to streamline this operation and get it under one umbrella."

"What kind of bull is that," Brody grumbled.

"Bureaucratic bull," Matt said.

"So we'll be setting up a task force with representatives of each law enforcement agency to meet to coordinate any future efforts to bring this situation to its resolution and to free the hostages inside the bank."

"That will be the day," Brody said.

"I can't trust these feds not to get C.J. and the other hostages killed," Matt said, "Their track record notwithstanding."

"So what are we going to do?"

Matt rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"I don't know, but we don't have a lot of time."

Dan walked up to them.

"Whatever you're thinking of doing, count me in."

Matt sighed, watching the press conference.

"I think we need to find out what's going on inside that bank," he said.

They looked up to see Walker heading towards them.

* * *

"How much time do you think we've spent in here?"

C.J looked up at Fran.

"Too long," she said," How's Chris?"

Fran shrugged.

"I think the baby's coming sooner rather than later but she's comfortable."

C.J.'s heart sunk a bit at the news.

"We've got to get them to release her," she said.

"Do they look like they're in the releasing mood," Fran said.

C.J. shook her head.

"Well, things are going to get a bit tricky if she goes into labor and has her baby in the middle of all this," C.J. said, "What will they do to handle the situation then?"

Fran looked up at the door where Bruiser stood outside of it.

"I don't think they're thinking very far ahead," she said, "Maybe they just thought far enough to where they got their hands on the big money and didn't put much energy into the escape plan."

C.J. sighed.

"I think we're part of that escape plan now," she said, "but if we could just get Chris out of here and Missy and Amanda, if we're really lucky."

Alex walked over.

"How are you all doing," she said, "How's Chris?"

"She seems okay," Fran said, "But I have a bad feeling about it. I think she's going to have her baby."

"Do these men know what's going on?"

C.J. ran her hand through her hair.

"I sent the guy by the door to talk to his ringleader quite a while ago," she said, "He hasn't returned at least not with information."

"He's probably trying to figure out how to tell him," Fran said, "Maybe the head of this operation is passed out on the floor somewhere at the prospect of a hostage giving birth in the middle of his show."

C.J. sighed.

"One would only hope," she said, "I'm going to go ask the guard again."

Both Fran and Alex watched her go, failing to find the words to stop her and not knowing if they would use them if they could.

* * *

Gage and Syndey returned to the City Hall building to research the steam tunnels that existed underneath Houston's streets. Not many people knew that they existed unless they had been part of the moonshine smuggling operation back during Prohibition or had happened upon the old blueprints which included these ancient tunnels. Gage and Sydney had encountered a true old timer in the Public Works department at City Hall who for a price offered to provide them the location to the old rolls of plans which had to be opened very carefully lest they tear apart. The price proved to be some vintage scotch which Gage reluctantly offered to procure for the man. Sydney rolled her eyes at Gage hearing about that deal. Gage just shrugged back as if daring her to come up with a better plan.

"This paper's so old," Sydney said, "and it's water-damaged."

"Careful…" the old man admonished, "You might tear her up and I'm partial to my old girls."

Gage and Sydney looked at each other. Girls?

"Well be careful with your…girls," Sydney said, soothingly, "We won't let anything happen to them but we need to find the locations of those steam pipes and all their access points."

"I said I'd help you with that," the old man grumbled.

Gage smoothed out the parchment and with his finger began tracing the lines which appeared transecting the document in different places.

"Are these the steam tunnels?"

The old man looked at where Gage's fingers were and nodded.

"Those are them," the old man said, "You have uncovered one of Houston's historic secrets."

Sydney leaned over the table.

"How do we access them?"

The man looked at them and cocked his head while stroking his weathered beard.

"Now that's the tricky part," he said, "You need a guide."

Gage threw up his arms.

"Guide," he said, "What do you mean we need a guide? We've got this map."

The old man stuck up his index finger.

"Wait young man, you will receive a copy of this map," the man corrected, "and you'll need a guide."

Gage tried to remain patient.

"Can you tell us where we might find one?"

The man started to shake his head then reconsidered.

"You might be able to find one," he said, "But I gotta warn you, they don't come cheap."

Gage rolled his eyes at Sydney.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?"

Sydney glared at her partner.

"Gage, let him finish."

"Why Syd," Gage said, "We both know the next thing he's going to say is that he's the only guide in the city who will help us."

Sydney frowned at Gage's cynicism but then threw the old man a careful look.

"Is my partner right?"

The man's eyes shot up.

"Partner," the old man said, "I thought he was your boyfriend."

Sydney almost jumped back and only long-time training and experience in law enforcement kept her cemented in her place. Gage stood still, suppressing a smile.

"What!"

Her face flushed a bit.

"Now let's get this straight, Mr…."

"The name's Earp," the man said, "just like the lawman who shot up a perfectly nice town some years back."

"Okay…Earp," Sydney said, "This man and I are partners who work professionally together. We're not involved in any personal relationship."

Earp nodded slowly.

"Okay, but I have to say most of the people who are interested in knowing how to access the steam tunnels just want a private place to you know…make out."

Sydney shook her head.

"That's not us," she said, "We're Texas Marshals and we're here on police business. I thought you understood that when we showed you our badges."

Earp scratched his head.

"So, that doesn't necessarily mean your interests in my steam tunnels are professional in nature," he said.

Gage looked at his watch.

"Listen, we can discuss this later," he said, "We need to find out if those tunnels go to the First Star Bank."

Earp's eyes widened.

"You mean the one that was robbed," he said, "where all the cops are hanging outside?"

They both nodded.

"Why didn't you just say so," he said, "You young folk always want to beat around the bush when there's work to be done. I'll tell you what, we go now and deal with this situation and work out a payment plan when we're through."

Gage and Sydney looked warily but finally nodded. The man gestured to them to follow him and so they did.

* * *

Matt paced near the mobile station when Walker arrived. The ranger knew the investigator was frustrated with the pace of the operation especially after the FBI had arrived and assumed control of the operation. Walker sat through the staid press conference but afterward, he had told Jonathan and Simon that it might help if they were actually able to come up with some sort of action plan. Simon immediately told him it was the jurisdiction of the federal agencies like the FBI to lead the operations with state and local agencies providing supportive roles. After that reprimand, he walked off followed by Jonathan who shot Walker a sympathetic look.

"There's no way I'm standing around here while they do nothing," Matt said.

Walker sighed.

"I understand how you feel Mr. Houston," he said, "I have a wife there and a daughter at home who probably misses her."

"Did you tell your wife you loved her this morning," Matt asked.

Walker looked at Matt.

"Yes I did," he said, "but sometimes I forget because one of us is in a hurry to leave because our careers are such that something is always coming up."

Matt dug his toe in the dirt.

"I did tell C.J. I loved her on the phone right before the robbery," he said, "Just in time. But I didn't get to tell her that I know the truth…"

"What truth might I ask if it's not too personal," Walker said.

Matt paused, many emotions traveling through his face from his eyes.

"That she might be pregnant," he said, "She'd been sick in the morning for a while, very tired. I thought it was just the hard hours she puts in her career including this latest case involving your wife."

"Ah," Walker said, with a smile, "That's what I thought was happening with Alex too during her early months."

Matt ran his hand through his hair.

"It would be a shock, but a happy one," he said, "I don't know what she feels about it but I know she wanted children. We talked about having a lot of them since neither of us had brothers or sisters."

Walker sighed, but a smile lit his face.

"This is going to be the most challenging period of your life and your relationship together but it will be the most joyful and rewarding as well. I was worried I would never be a good father to my daughter but having her in my life isn't a decision I would ever take back."

"I want to take care of her and make it easier," Matt said, "But that might be a battle in itself."

Walker chuckled.

"That's Alex too," he said, "and through much trial and error what I learned was that you have to offer help, make sure that she knows it's there if she needs it and I think you'll find as time goes by, she'll be more willing to do that."

"We have a really strong relationship," Matt said, "I think we'll make it through this just fine."

"Oh and another thing," Walker said, before leaving, "Let her give you the news about her pregnancy and act surprised. That's one of the most memorable times for women in life, the moment when they tell the man they love that he's about to become a father."

Matt watched the Ranger walk away and his words filled his heart with the thought that he and C.J. through their love for one another had created life which would share the qualities of both of them. He fell in love with her all over again and couldn't wait to tell her once the bank robbery siege had ended.

But first, they had to get to that point.

* * *

C.J. sat in the corner and thought about him. She imagined him walking right past Bruiser and into the door of the office to take her home. This siege had to end well so that the hostages could go home to their families, Chris would have her baby in hospital and she could tell Houston about their own baby. She would not allow herself to envision any other outcome. She refused to do so. But Houston was some place outside these walls and so she settled for an old memory instead.

C.J. fingered the engagement ring as she and Matt lay in bed at the guest suite at his corporate headquarters where they had gone to ride out Hurricane Gracia. The unpredicable storm had veered to the left just before reaching the low-lying city. Once again, Houston had dodged the bullet. Still, the weather had been very stormy for several days and they had taken refuge in the multi-room suite which operated on a secondary generator and was supplied with anything they could need or want for a week or longer. Soon enough, they realized that they had everything they wanted which was each other. They had woken up this morning, noticing that the weather had finally began to improve. After Matt looked out the window at the sun's attempts to poke through the cloud cover, both of them realized that the storm had pretty much passed on its way to wreak havoc elsewhere as a downgraded tropical storm.

"Do you think the cell service is up and working," C.J. asked.

"Maybe," Matt said, "If it is as soon as the rain dies down, we should give our friends a call and see how they weathered this storm."

C.J. went to pour herself a glass of juice.

"I'm worried about Chris and Dan because Chris is pregnant and what about Fran and her baby twins?"

Matt embraced her from behind.

"They'll be fine," he said, "Let's get back into bed."

She smiled, putting her glass of juice down and they did just that. She never grew tired of his arms around her and his hands on her and of making love with the man she felt so close with most of her life in all ways but one. Their new relationship had weathered its series of storms but they had prevailed through them because they loved each other and neither could see building that form of relationship with anyone else.

She lay afterward, her heart rate dropping slowly and a calm peace permeating through her as she felt the warmth of Matt's arms around her and his body molding against her own.

"I want a baby," she murmured so softly she didn't know at first if he had heard her.

Matt leaned up resting his face against his hand, looking at her.

"What brought this on suddenly?"

She felt like throwing a pillow at him but realized he raised a good point. She had focused so long on her career that any mention of babies were statements made in passing that they existed on her future time line somewhere. Anytime in the future but now.

"I don't know," she said, "I think I'm ready to really start talking about it."

Matt smiled. He was probably further along that time line than she at this point. He was more interested in getting the ball rolling so to speak. He wanted children and he wanted them with the woman lying aside him in bed more than anything and the only surprise was his realization some months ago that those desires had existed within him a lot longer than he knew.

"That's good," he said, "but don't rush yourself."

She snorted.

"I don't think that just thinking about it is rushing myself," she said, "What about you? What are you thinking?"

Matt paused.

"I want to have children," he said, "I want you to be their mother and I want you to know I'll be there every step of the way."

She nodded.

"Thank you, I wouldn't want anyone else there," she said, rubbing her forehead, "I just hope I can make a good parent."

"He embraced her tighter.

"You'll be an incredible mother," he said, "You're very loving, very patient and you really roll with the punches. And you'll have me."

"I'm glad," she said, "Though I do want to wait until after we're married."

Matt nodded.

"Then we better set a date soon," he said, "And not just to start having babies. I wanted to be married to you. I don't want to have to wait too long."

She smiled, reaching for his hand and caressing it.

"Me neither," she said, "Let's get married."

* * *

C.J. thought back to that day and she knew she and Matt had set a good wedding date to host a small informal ceremony with closest friends and family in attendance. It had seemed perfect until the six pink lines appeared the morning before today as she sat in her bathroom staring at them, all in a row. She wondered what Matt's reaction would be to her sudden pregnancy. But she would deal with that after getting out of this dangerous situation. After making sure that her friends were safe and that Chris gave birth to her long-awaited child in a hospital and not in the middle of an office floor during a hostage siege. So much fell on her plate to handle first that her thoughts about her own situation including her pregnancy had to fade in the background for a while. While walking towards the office door to confront Bruiser, Alex stopped her.

"What are you going to tell him," she said.

C.J. turned around, determination in her eyes.

"Whatever it takes to get Chris out of her and in a hospital?"

"How are you going to change their minds," Alex asked.

"I'll think of a way."

"You might not survive their way," Alex said.

C.J. spun around, eyes direct.

"I survived the likes of Andre Duval and Stefan Kostas," she said, "I can deal with some third-rate bank robbers."

C.J. left Alex, slamming the door behind her which formed a barrier between the two women. Alex put her hand over her eyes and hoped for the best.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12---Here's the latest installment of my cross-fiction and I hope you like it. Thanks for reading it and your comments. I also experimented with the forum function and created something that I think is a forum which is located under forums for "tv" and under the name of the show.

* * *

Sydney and Gage followed Earp down the street, not paying any attention to any of the pedestrians giving them strange looks because Earp had put on his cowboy hat and 'OK Corral' shirt before leaving his office in the basement of City Hall. Gage didn't think it was possible for Earp's attire to attract attention near the bottom of Texas but maybe they were paying closer attention to his odd mannerisms. He also noticed that Earp seemed a bit taken with his partner, something Sydney seemed oblivious to as they followed Earp on what appeared to be an endless trek through downtown Houston.

"I think it's down in this general direction," Earp said, straightening his hat.

"Are you sure," Gage asked, looking around him at the darkened streets.

"What do you take me for, young man," Earp said, "I was practically digging those tunnels when your granddaddy was in diapers."

Gage's eyes shot up.

"My granddaddy?"

Earp looked impatient with his questions, but winked at Sydney.

"I'm a little older than I look," he said.

"I think his mind is past its expiration date," Gage grumbled.

Sydney smiled and told him to be quiet but not soon enough.

"I heard that," Earp said, "I can hear a hornet buzzing on a flower from a block away. These senses are still razor sharp."

Gage looked chagrined.

"Gotcha Old Timer."

That nickname earned him a growl from the older man so Gage just remained quiet as they continued down yet another Houston city street.

* * *

C.J. walked right up to Bruiser and looked him in the eye, even though she had to look up to do that.

"What did your boss tell you," she asked .

He looked down at her.

"He told me the next time you send me to him on a personal errand, I'm to take you out and shoot you."

C.J. folded her arms.

"You're not going to do that," she said, "There's a woman in there like I said, nine months pregnant and about to deliver."

He folded his arms and slouched.

"So you said," he said, "But do I hear a baby crying yet? I don't think so."

She set her jaw.

"You will if you wait long enough," C.J. said, "That's if you're lucky."

Bruiser frowned.

"What do you mean, lucky?"

C.J. signed.

"If she gives birth and has problems and that baby doesn't come out crying, you'll be facing a murder charge," she said, "And in Texas, they still hanging people for killing newborn babies."

"What are you sayin'"

She continued as if she hadn't heard him.

"And the fact that the baby would have died in the midst of a bank robbery which is a Class A felony won't help matters," C.J. said, "They'll just hang you faster."

"But…"

"Oh, the judge won't care about any excuses when he sentences you to the noose," C.J. said.

Bruiser bowed his head and sighed.

"I guess I'd better go back and talk to the boss," he said.

C.J. nodded.

"That's best," she said, "You better get a move on now."

She didn't expect her words to have much effect on the hardened criminal but they did and this told her that if there were a weak link in this chain, he stood right in front of her. After he left, Alex came outside the office and stood next to her. She looked more than a little bit amazed.

"What did you say to him," she asked.

C.J. shrugged.

"I just told him the facts of life," she said, "He seemed to have much better retention skills the second time around."

They both looked at where Bruiser had turned the corner.

"What do you think Johnson will say," Alex said.

"I don't know," C.J. said, "If he's the leader, he's the most hardened, the Alpha male."

Alex agreed.

"He's going to be the toughest to deal with," she said, "But we've got to get help from your friend. I'm fairly certain she's in the early stages."

C.J.'s heart fell.

"How long then?"

Alex took a deep breath and released it.

"I don't know," she said, "Could be quite a while yet, could be a lot quicker if the stress of the situation gets to her."

"I'd better go see her," C.J. said.

"Fran's with her now," Alex said, "She's just fine. You need to relax a bit because you're carrying a life too."

C.J. smiled.

"I know, I haven't had much time to think about it, to take it all in," she said, "Maybe when this is all over."

Alex put her hand on her shoulder.

"It will be," she said, "My husband and his men are all pros. They've done this many times before. You can trust them."

C.J. paused.

"I don't trust law enforcement nearly as much as I used to because of all the things that have happened, but I will if it helps Chris and her baby, not to mention the other hostages."

"Chris will be fine," Alex said, "even if she has her baby here, we'll all help her the best we can."

C.J. sat on a nearby chair.

"That's what I didn't want to happen to Alisha," she said.

Alex looked confused but then understood. She sat next to C.J.

"Our intention was never to prosecute her or cause her or her baby any harm," she said, "You have to believe that."

C.J. turned to face Alex.

"My job is to keep her and her baby safe," she said, "And she's not safe with the feds. I know that better than anyone ever could."

"I know what you went through was horrific and I know the feds made it worse rather than better," Alex said, "but we need Alisha as a material witness against a very vicious drug lord and we'll do everything within our power to keep her safe."

C.J. looked at her palms, then held them up so that Alex could see the faded scars across them, including several which wrapped around her fingers.

"This is what I look at every time I'm asked to trust a fed," she said, "I got these escaping from an equally vicious human trafficker who kidnapped Me off the street and kept me captive for a month before I escaped."

Alex looked at her scars and then she looked at her.

"That must have been horrible, but this time it will be different," Alex said.

C.J. sighed and withdrew her hands.

"During the court hearing, I told you what the terms of surrender were," she said, "they still stand."

"We're not in court," Alex reminded her, "and I think this is just as much about you as it is about Alisha."

C.J. gave her a long look and Alex watched the conflicting emotions that time had made showing on her face.

"Maybe," C.J. said, before getting up and walking back into the office to join her friends.

* * *

Matt ran his hands through his hair as he looked at the bank. Brody joined him after getting off the phone with Hoyt.

"What'd he say," Matt asked without turning around.

"Not much word on the stints that two of them did in California State Corrections some time ago," Brody said, "I brought you some coffee."

Matt took it absently.

"How long do you think it's been since we heard anything?"

Brody sighed.

"A couple of hours," he said, "but that doesn't mean anything. If anything bad had happened to the hostages, we'd know."

Matt nodded.

"Have you seen Walker?"

Brody shook his head.

"Last I heard he was trying to contact the two agents he sent to check out the steam tunnels."

"To try and see if they connect to the bank," Matt asked.

"This is an older building that housed some business besides a bank years ago," Brody said, "Maybe if the entrances led here, they've just been built over and aren't included in the newer blueprints."

"That's possible," Matt said, "I wish I'd never gone to L.A."

"Look Matt, there's no guarantee that she wouldn't be in that bank with her friends if you stayed."

Matt looked up, while fingering the rim of his coffee cup.

"But she needed me," he said, "She was tired and not feeling well and has been under a lot of stress lately."

"She wanted you to go," Brody said, "She told you so, remember?"

"I want her to come out of that bank safe and sound so we can just go home and talk about anything, the new house, buying that property that edges the lake…"

Brody watched his friend close his eyes.

"Our baby…"

"You're going to do all that, Matt," Brody said, "Somehow all the minds that are gathered here are going to find a way to bring everyone out of that bank safely. Some egos are going to have to be parked at the gate first."

Matt smiled, grimly.

"It's hard not to get emotionally involved in this when it's personal," he said, "It's always been like that with C.J. as long as I've known her. I imagine Walker feels the same way."

Brody nodded.

"I imagine he does."

* * *

Walker sat and waited for Simon and Jonathan to come out of the mobile center. He tried hard to take his mind off Alex but that proved to be an impossible task especially after he had called their friend who had taken in Angela for the night to find out that their daughter had finally drifted off to sleep.

"She has your eyes," Alex said.

Walker looked up at where she stood over Angela's crib. He joined her and they both looked down at the miracle of their daughter who was two months old.

"She has your smile," Walker said, tenderly stroking his daughter's pudgy arm, "The same one that charmed me into asking you out."

Alex laughed.

"But it took you years before you got up and did it."

Walker looked serious.

"I needed all that time to think about what I was getting myself into," he said, "You see, with other women, there were relationships with beginnings, middles and ends."

She nodded, following along.

"That's how these things usually work out," she said.

He lifted up her chin with his finger.

"But with you, I knew that if I took that step, that leap of faith, I would be in that relationship for the rest of my life."

Alex's eyes teared over.

"Oh Walker…"

Walker looked up as the door to the trailer opened and out walked Jonathan and Simon. He waited for them to approach him.

"So are we any closer to a plan," Walker asked.

Jonathan and Simon in their identical suits and stances looked at each other.

"No, we're still gathering recognizance," Simon said, "These things take time."

Walker grew irate.

"That part of the operation would take less time if you used what information we'd gathered already before you arrived."

"We've been looking at that," Jonathan said, "Look Ranger Walker, we're not here to step on anybody's toes. We're here to get those hostages out as safely as possible."

Walker crossed his arms.

"So are we," he said, "We should be on the same team."

"We are all on the same team, Walker," Simon said, "We're just leading it."

Walker nodded.

"I understand that, but a good leader never needs to keep checking that he's in charge."

Jonathan smiled at that, but hid it behind a nod.

"We'll need all the help we can get from everyone," he said, "We're glad to know we can count on you."

* * *

Gage and Sydney looked uncertain as Earp shone a flashlight down a man hole. The two of them had assisted the man in hoisting it open.

"Who's first," Earp said and looked at Sydney, "Where I come from, it was always beautiful ladies first off of sinking ships."

"This isn't a ship," Sydney said, pointing to her partner, "I don't need protecting. I can handle myself as well as he can."

Gage looked at both of them.

"How about age before beauty?"

Sydney rolled her eyes at them.

"I'll go first," she said, "just shine the light still while I'm climbing down the ladder."

So Sydney climbed down while Earp shone the flashlight down the deep hole. She soon disappeared out of sight.

"Are you okay, Syd," Gage said, "Do you see any giant alligators?"

The voice that responded didn't sound that amused.

"If I did, do you think I'd tell you?"

"Just checking," Gage said, suppressing a chuckle, "Things got a little quiet there for a while."

"It's very dark and very humid down here," Sydney's voice said, "Definitely a steam tunnel."

"Is it too hot," Gage asked.

"It's bearable, though we might all come out a few pounds lighter on the other end," she said.

Gage sighed in relief, knowing his partner felt fine.

"Okay, we're on our way down," Gage said.

* * *

C.J. sat with Fran and Chris.

"How do you feel," she said.

"Like I did when you asked me a minute ago," Chris grumbled holding her stomach.

"I'm sorry," C.J. said, looking down.

"Don't be," Chris reached for her friend's hand, "I'm sorry I'm such a grouch."

"Who wouldn't be under these circumstances," C.J. said, "I think you're holding up really well."

Chris chuckled before wincing again.

"Damn these smart, but they're still far enough apart, I think."

"Just hold on Chris," C.J. said, "Fran and I are right here and we'll deliver it ourselves if it comes to that."

"There's not much to do really," Chris said, "I push, scream, howl and throw things and you just stay at a safe distance on the other end and get ready to catch a slippery, red baby without dropping him or her."

"Yeah, a piece of cake," Fran said, "Right, everything's going to be okay. I just wish I hadn't left my catcher's mitt at home."

"We'll be fine," C.J. said, touching Chris' shoulder.

"I know," Chris said, "I just wish Dan were here right now."

"I know," C.J. said, "but there's still a good chance he'll be there when the baby arrives."

"I didn't think I'd ever be a mother," Chris said, "But then I never thought I'd meet up and marry a great guy like Dan."

C.J. nodded.

"Life's a bit funny like that," she said, "I didn't think I'd ever have a life again, after all that happened. I felt like it had been stolen from me for so long."

"But you did get it back," Chris said, "and now you're with a man who loves you more than anything."

C.J. smiled.

"It made all the difference having my friends around me at that time even if you weren't with me," she said, "You all took tremendous risks to help me get my life back."

"You did the same for me when I first came to L.A. looking for work," Chris said.

"Hell, you and Matt just about saved my life," Fran said, "I sat in a jail cell in some forgotten corner of Arizona yelling at him for getting us both killed and all he did was look at a snapshot he had of you in his hand."

"Yeah, when I first saw him at Piser's ranch, I didn't even know who he was," C.J. said, "But I felt safe with him from the time I laid eyes on him."

"He's probably right outside the bank," Fran said, "working with these guys to get us out of here. And between us, I'll put my chips in his corner rather than these law enforcement types."

"I wonder if he is here," C.J. said.

"I bet you a million bucks that I don't have that he jumped on his plane as soon as he knew," Fran said, "And I bet Dan is on his way."

"And Carlos," Chris said.

Fran smiled sadly.

"Well, he's out of touch right now on a job, but if they get word to him, I know he'll be here."

* * *

Dan walked up to where Matt sat with Brody.

"I just heard from Carlos," he said, "He's on his way to the airport. It will be a while before he gets here. Hopefully this will all be over by then."

"I'm not sure it will be," Matt said, "It's still awfully quiet inside that bank."

"The feds say they have it all under control," Dan said.

Matt looked at Dan.

"Do you trust them?"

Dan shook his head.

"Not even while I was a cop here," he said, "There are good ones and Walker's people are top notch but there's a lot of bureaucrats in the federal bureaus who don't understand what it's like to be an agent in the field."

Brody nodded.

"Though it's not different in that regard from your average local police department," Dan finished, "I just wish I knew how Chris was holding up."

"Now Dan, she was doing well the last time we heard from someone about her," Matt said, "We've got to believe that she'll be just fine."

Dan stuck his hands in his pockets.

"I'm not going to believe that until she's out of there," he said, "Besides, C.J. and Fran are in there too."

Matt sighed.

"I know and I wish they were anywhere else," he said, "I wish I had never left town though that probably wouldn't have changed anything."

Dan saw the worry that his friend tried to hide on his face.

"Look man, C.J. is going to be just fine," he said, "She's very resilient and she's you to come back to and she knows that."

Matt nodded.

"We've got to sit tight here for a bit and come up with some sort of action plan," he said, "if the feds fail to produce a better one."

* * *

C.J. looked up at Matt as they got dressed for an evening social event. She watched him wage another war against his bow tie. In all his years wearing one, he hadn't won one yet.

"Look, you don't have to go," she said, "if you would rather stay at home."

He shook his head.

"C.J., you're the keynote speaker of this event," he said, "and there's no way I'm going to miss out on that."

"You've seen me make lots of speeches," she said, "You've seen me in court."

He caressed her cheek.

"This is different," he said, "This is the first time you're going to talk about what you went through outside of a legal proceeding."

She looked down and bit her lip.

"I don't know if I can do it," she said, looking more like a frightened deer in the headlights than a confident attorney addressing a jury, "I don't know if the words will come out."

He smoothed her hair back carefully.

"They will," he said, "they won't be able to stop themselves."

She sighed.

"That's the other problem," she said, "What if I can't stop talking?"

He smiled.

"Just walk up there, take a deep breath and speak from the heart," he said, "and if you feel like you're lost, look at me."

"Really?"

He took his hands in hers, rubbing them gently and looking in her eyes.

"I'll be the one wearing the tux with the messed up bow tie."

She chuckled and covered her mouth.

"You look sexy with a slightly askew bow tie," she said, "I wouldn't dare straighten it."

"I look even sexier without it," he said, "or so I've been told."

Her laughter grew.

"Did I ever tell you how much I love you," she said, softly.

He raised a brow.

"Yes you have," he said, "but I'll tell you what. After this shinding's over, why don't we come home and you can show me?"

She smiled.

"You've got a deal, cowboy."

C.J. broke from her reverie, still feeling the memory of his kiss, and heard shouting from the other side of the bank. All the other women looked up as well. What the hell was going on now?

Alex and C.J. exchanged frightened glances.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13---This is the latest chapter in the cross-over story. I hope that you enjoy it and thanks for the comments!

* * *

Sydney and Gage crept through the darkened tunnel, taking quick breaths as the humidity level made it too difficult to do more than that. Earp didn't seem to notice the oppressive conditions except to wipe the sweat off his face with a handkerchief every once in a while.

"Are you two doing okay," he asked, looking behind him.

They nodded.

"Just checking," Earp said, "It's been awfully quiet the last few minutes, just wanted to make sure you were still with me.

"Do you come down here often," Sydney asked, pulling her damp long hair into a ponytail.

He shrugged.

"Not these days," he said, "I used to get called down here to lead animal control to search for wild animals including snakes, coyotes, foxes and all kinds of rodents."

"What about alligators," Gage asked.

Earp laughed.

"Why land sakes, that's just an urban legend," he said, "though there was a Big Foot sighting here once during the 1970s."

Gage and Sydney looked at each other. Earp kept on talking.

"Oh yeah, we all thought that the guy who reported that had a bit too much of the whisky to drink when he wandered down here drunk on some frat house hazing," he said, "Still you never really know what could be lurking down in the depths of these tunnels."

"With most of the people on the surface of this major city being none the wiser that these tunnels even exist," Sydney said, looking carefully around her for that alligator.

"So how do you know where we're going," Gage asked, "Do you check the plans, or is it mapped out?"

Earp sighed, pulling off his hat and wringing it out.

"They tried to do that at least twice," he said, "but the city cut the budget in its planning department both times so there's no really good map anywhere."

Sydney stopped and put her hands on her hips.

"So we could be wandering around in circles or get lost in some maze," she said, "How would you even know?"

Earp smiled and tapped his head.

"Because I have this whole labyrinth of tunnels mapped out right up here in my head," he said, "and before you make any cracks about my memory fading with age, it's as sharp as the day I first started working at City Hall."

"Whatever you say, old man," Gage said, "As long as they don't need to send a search party down here to rescue us."

Earp appeared insulted.

"You watch yourself," he said, "I've rescued more snot-nosed kids like you twice my size and with less than half of my sense so there's no need to speculate…"

Gage put his hands up, and had to wave one back and forth to shake off some cobwebs off of him. Earp watched him and then raised his finger.

"There are some pretty large spiders down here," he said, "about yey big."

Gage watched as the older man spaced his hands about six inches apart. He felt a wave of nausea hit him.

"You're kidding right?"

Sydney snorted.

"Of course he is," she said, and then looked at Earp, "aren't you?"

"You two would never survive a trip out in the real wilderness," Earp said, "You know the kind that existed before civilization ruined it."

"We're just trying to find out if these tunnels lead to the First Star Bank," Sydney said, "But it's hard to see in front of us even with the flashlight."

Earp paused to think, scratching his head.

"It's quite possible they do," he said, "because the building that houses the bank once housed the city's most popular saloon."

Sydney's eyebrows shot up.

"Really," she said, "then that means that there could have been smuggling going on during prohibition and that means secret passages to the saloon which is now years later, a bank."

The older man put his finger under his chin.

"Yeah, that sounds about right," he said, "Back in those days, there was a huge underground of boozing going on all under the nose of the feds, the police and anyone who wasn't on the payroll."

Gage sighed, wringing the sweat off of his reddened face.

"That's a really interesting history lesson there boss," he said, "but we've got to find a passage that leads to that bank."

Earp just looked at them pitifully then continued walking down one passage, with Gage and Sydney shrugging and then trailing behind him.

* * *

C.J. and Alex turned around when they heard the yelling coming from the other side of the bank.

"What in blazes do you think they're doing," Alex asked.

"I have no idea," C.J. said, "I wonder if that's Duke reacting to my request about getting Chris out of here."

"He's got a temper," Alex said, "Still, it's not unheard of for bank robbers to get testier the longer a siege goes on and this one's gone on a lot longer than any of these men planned."

"If it goes on much longer, the number of hostages here is going to increase by one," C.J. said, "

"I don't know what we can do," Alex said.

C.J. pursed her lips.

"I'm going to find out what the hell is going on," she said.

"Be careful," Alex said, "Maybe you should wait."

"I can't," C.J. said, "That's my friend in there and she can't wait."

Alex sighed.

"Well, I'll go with you," she said.

C.J. smiled but as it turned out, Duke came to them. They saw him walking toward them looking angry.

"What did you just tell my guy about releasing one of my hostages," he demanded.

C.J. just looked at him.

"Just the one who's about to give birth on the floor of the office," she said.

"Who," he asked.

"A young woman who's nine months pregnant," C.J. said, "and she looks like she's going into labor sooner rather than later."

Duke just stared at them in disbelief.

"Well you better go tell her not to have her baby," he said.

C.J. folded her arms.

"How can I do that," she said, "Once a baby's ready to come out, it's going to come out and no one not even you or I can stop it."

"Then I'll just take her out and shoot her," Duke said, nodding.

A cord of fear ran through C.J. but she covered herself well to remain calm. She forced herself to speak plainly.

"Oh yeah, that's going to look really good," she said, "shooting a pregnant woman on national television."

"National television," Duke said, a look of awe on his face.

C.J. caught the change in his expression and knew it gave her something to work with.

"Come on, you know that incidents like bank robberies always are broadcast all over the country," C.J. said, "I wouldn't be surprised if Larry King was airing his show live from right outside this bank."

Harley walked up to join Duke.

"That'd be cool boss," he said, "Larry King's an icon in the pen."

Duke shrugged.

"He would have made a better hostage," he said, "then he could have broadcast his show from inside the bank and we could have gotten higher ransom and a television deal."

Harley clapped.

"That would be awesome," he said.

Duke turned around to size up the women next to him.

"You're making a lot more noise than any woman has a right to," he said, "You best keep your mouths shut."

C.J. let his sexism slide.

"Okay, suit yourself, but when her water breaks and that baby's coming out, we'll just see how you big tough bank robbers handle it then."

She turned to walk away and felt a hand grab her from behind. She steeled herself to stop from flinching.

"Okay, we'll look to see if we can find some pillows to make her more comfortable," Duke said, "But she stays in the bank."

C.J. nodded and watched as Duke and Harley walked away.

"That could have gone better," C.J. said, with a sigh.

"You tried your best," Alex said, "But they are in control right now."

"I don't know," C.J. said, "They seem like they really got caught up on the idea that the national media could be covering their bank robbery."

Alex snorted.

"Maybe on a slow news night," she said, "Still you never know what captures the fancy of the media hounds."

"Maybe we could find a way to use it regardless," C.J. said, as they returned to the office.

* * *

Matt picked up his cell phone and found himself talking to Uncle Roy in L.A.

"How's everything going out there Matlock," Roy asked.

"Not much is going on," Matt said, "The feds arrived but they've hamstrung everyone else while they figure out what to do and the bank robbers still have the hostages."

"The longer this goes on…"

Matt sighed.

"I know, the more dangerous it gets for the hostages," he said, "We're trying to come up with a plan."

"You can't handle this on your own either," Roy said, "Do you have any allies?"

Matt paused.

"There's Brody, Dan, myself," he said, "I'm not sure about the Texas Rangers."

"Is Walker still there?"

"Yeah he is, his wife is a hostage."

"What does he think about how the situation's being handled," Roy said.

"He's about as impressed as we are," Matt said, "But he's still intent on going by the book and that means playing second fiddle to the feds."

"Walker's very smart and strategic," Roy said, "I worked with him a couple of times and was very impressed with his style. I think that if the feds really screw things up, he'll be on board with you."

"Maybe if he takes the lead on it," Matt said, "I don't see him taking any type of instruction with a civilian."

"That's fine Matlock," Roy said, "You can't always take the lead on an operation. The way it's set up is that you both have loved ones among the hostages so that's going to work both for you and against you…"

"I'm not going to let anything get in the way of getting C.J. and the others out of there," Matt said, "nor anyone".

"I'm sure Walker's saying the same thing right now about his own wife," Roy said, "But you both have to keep each other from letting your personal feelings guide your actions."

Matt sighed.

"Okay, I hear you," he said, "I'll go approach Walker and see what he thinks about sitting around and watching the feds do nothing while the hostages are in even greater danger."

"Trust him Matlock," Roy said, "Walker's earned that right as far as I'm concerned."

Matt thought about it.

"Okay I will," Matt said, "Talk to you later."

He snapped his phone shut and thought about what his uncle had just told him about trusting Walker. Matt trusted his uncle without saying, enough to value any advice he gave but he still remained leery of the Texas Ranger. He was fairly sure the feeling was mutual.

* * *

Walker got off the phone and turned to Simon and Jonathan.

"That was a member of my team who talked to Sydney and Gage before they went into the tunnels," he said, "They're with probably the only living person who knows his way through those tunnels."

Jonathan grimaced.

"The ones lying underneath the city, right?"

"The very same," Walker said, "It's a longshot that they'll go anywhere near the bank let alone right up to the back door but it's worth a try."

Jonathan agreed.

"If those passages lead to the bank, it could give us a way in for a rescue operation," he said, "The robbers would never see it coming."

"We really need that element of surprise," Walker said, "That's the only way we're going to get them once they realize we have no intention of giving them what they want."

"If they figure that out before we have a plan…"

Walker turned on him a bit testily.

"Well, you were the ones who told the rest of us to back off of your turf while you came up with one," he said.

"That's more Agt. Denton's belief than mine," Jonathan admitted.

"Well, he…you aren't going to do those hostages much good if you keep the rest of the law enforcement players in the dark for much longer."

"I know that," Jonathan said, "and I'll talk to Denton. But he's the senior agent on this case."

"I know you'll do your best on your end," Walker said, "But we've got to be methodical with the planning so that when we move, it will be decisive and thorough and those hostages will be out before those robbers will know what hit them."

"The feds are more than capable of doing that," Jonathan said, snapping his folder shut, "I think you'll see that and much more when things do go down."

Walker nodded, but in the back of his mind, didn't really believe him. Oh, he knew that Jonathan sincerely wanted the efforts to free the hostages to be a group effort, a collaboration among different law enforcement agencies who all had a piece of Houston, but he also knew that federal bureaucratic red tape needed much more than just good intentions to clear it.

His mind drifted to Alex, sitting somewhere in the bank. He didn't know if she was all right, if she were scared or if she and the other hostages were working together to create their own plan of action. It was damn quiet in there right now.

* * *

C.J. checked on Chris who seemed to be feeling better. Fran kept her spirits up by telling her stories about her twins and how they had wrapped themselves around Carlos' finger so quickly after being born.

"Wow, Chris maybe you and Dan will join the exclusive Parents of Twins club," Fran said.

Chris groaned.

"I'm thinking it's just one really big baby inside of here," she said, "I'm not sure I could handle two at one time. I don't know how you do it."

Fran shrugged.

"It's not really that much harder," she said, "Just more feedings, more diapers and less sleep."

"Oh that makes it sound a lot easier," Chris joked.

Fran looked at Chris.

"Don't scare C.J. with all this talk," she said, "She's got all this to look forward to also."

"You think you're really ready for motherhood," Chris asked, "Of course you still have a while yet."

C.J. looked up.

"I hope so," she said, "I haven't had much time to think about it. I've only known 24 hours later and the bank robbery's kind of interrupted any type of reflection on the issue."

"You'll be a great mother," Chris said, "Butterfly adores you and you're really good with Fran's kids."

"They really like you," Fran said, "and you can always babysit for practice. My kids are tough but user-friendly."

C.J. smiled.

"I'll need to be thinking about a lot of things," she said, "There's so much to be concerned about and to plan for. Pregnancy doesn't seem long enough to get it all done."

Fran and Chris looked at each other ruefully.

"Oh pregnancy is plenty long enough," Fran said, "Besides you won't be alone. You have Matt. He's going to be so excited when he finds out."

C.J. nodded.

"Yeah, and I'm really glad I'll be going through it with him," she said, "It's more than I ever dared hope for in my life."

"Well, things work out sometimes," Fran said, "and you two really deserve to have happiness."

C.J. smiled.

"I really am happy with him," she said, "though it's been really tough at times."

"But you've made it through those difficult times," Chris reminded her, "and you're still here together getting ready to start your family."

* * *

C.J. sat in the hospital lobby next to Brody, who had brought one of his Hoagies to eat. He had offered her one but the smell of Anchovies just made her stomach lurch.

"I can get you some soup from the cafeteria if you'd like," he offered.

She shook her head.

"I'm not hungry, thanks."

He looked at her thoughtfully. Her dark curly hair hanging at shoulder level and concern pinching her face for the man lying in the other room.

"Matt's going to be okay," Brody said, "They administered the antidote just time and he's going to make it."

"He's still unconscious," she said.

"It's going to take a while to bring him back," Brody said, "but he has that chance because of you."

She shook her head again.

"No, you did a lot of the work," she said, "and got hit by a bullet for your efforts."

Brody raised his arm from its sling a little bit.

"Grazed by a bullet," he said, "In fact, when we're out of here, I'm going to take this thing off and give it to one of the kids to play with."

A smile broke in the corner of her mouth.

"You're going to keep it on until the doctor says you can remove it," she said.

He shrugged.

"I've been through worse than being dinged on the arm," he said, "Besides, how long did you keep your sling on when you got your obligatory shoulder wound?"

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Okay, you made your point," she said, "but do take care of it Brody and yourself."

"Yes Ma'am," he said, then his face turned serious, "But only if you take your own advice."

She looked taken aback.

"Myself," she said, "I'm fine, except for being a little tired. I think I'm the only one who doesn't belong here."

"Come on C.J.," Brody said, "You ran around non-stop for two days tracking down that antidote and that's not counting how you got that information."

She looked away.

"That doesn't matter," she said, "I didn't do anything that you didn't do."

He shook his head.

"Listen, I didn't sit there with that shrink and undergo hypnosis to get the information needed to find out where that Stefan Kostas thug would be going."

"But I did," she said softly, "and I'd rather just leave it there."

"I don't think you can…"

She spun her head around and anger sparked in her eyes.

"Yes I can," she said, "I can put those memories back where they belong and move on."

Brody looked doubtful.

"Okay, I'll back off," he said, "but I think it's going to be easier said than done. Kind of like trying to put everything back in after Pandora's box has been open."

"I can handle it," she said, then got up, "but thank you for your concern."

She kissed his cheek and then walked back into Matt's room, not knowing that Brody's concerned gaze followed her footsteps.

* * *

C.J. sat apart for a while, trying to figure out what to do next. She had to come up with some sort of plan to get Chris out of the bank before she had her baby. However, Duke had been adamant that Chris would remain a hostage along with the rest of them. Still, she remembered how enamored he and Harley had been about the very idea that their siege might be broadcast on national television. Perhaps she could find a way to use that against them.

Alex came up to her. C.J. looked up from where she sat, waiting for her to say something.

"I'm sorry I came on so strong about Alisha a while back," Alex said, "This is neither the time or the place."

C.J. shrugged.

"I came on that way too," she said, "so you've got nothing to apologize about that I don't."

Alex sat down beside her.

"You care about her a lot," she said, "but I didn't mean to imply that it was as much about you as it was about her."

C.J. sighed and grew thoughtful.

"You weren't entirely wrong."

Alex looked at her quizzically. C.J. continued.

"Maybe it's about both of us," she said, "It's hard to explain what it's like to someone who's never been there. One minute you're walking to your car, the next you've been drugged and tied up in some stranger's car listening to men talk about exactly what's waiting for you. You can't do anything about it because you're too scared and your body won't even move and even if you could, what could you do?"

"That must have been a nightmare."

C.J. shook her head.

"The nightmare started later," she said, "When I found out who kidnapped me and why. When the guards took me to my cell, I knew what was waiting."

Alex put her hand over her mouth.

"He told me that he was going to rape me, before he did. Part of me didn't believe him but when he left me lying on the floor after he was done with me, all I wanted was to die. And every time he walked into the room to do it all over again, I thought I would die."

"How long did they keep you?"

"Almost a month," C.J. said, "Then I was sold again to another trafficker. I don't know if it was punishment for trying to escape or a debt that Andre owed that he used me to pay off, but for a long time, I had no memory of what happened involving him."

"Did you ever remember," Alex asked.

C.J.'s face darkened.

"Yes I did," she said, "and now I'll never forget."

"I'm sorry," Alex said.

C.J. smiled, softly though Alex saw pain there too.

"Don't be," she said, "If I hadn't remembered, Houston would have died."

"What do you mean?"

C.J. looked weary for the first time that day.

"In life, there are tradeoffs, sometimes sacrifices have to be made," she said, "That was one of them."

"So you really have an ability to relate to what Alisha's going through," Alex said.

C.J. nodded.

"I want to be there for her like I had people there for me, because she's in the loneliest place in the world right now especially for a young girl."

Alex remained quiet for a while.

"Thanks for sharing that with me," she said, "You've given me a lot to think about and I promise when all this is over and done with, I'll do that."

C.J. smiled.

"Thank you for listening," she said simply.

* * *

Sydney and Gage pushed further into the tunnels, feeling the fatigue that the humidity brought with every step. In comparison, Earp still appeared comfortable in the bowels of the city.

"Where are we," Brody asked.

Earp looked at him, irritated.

"A lot closer to the bank than we were the last time you asked," he said.

Sydney shone her flashlight ahead in the tunnel and saw an object move.

"What the…"

Gage turned to look at her.

"What's wrong Syd," he asked.

She pointed her finger into the darkness.

"There's something right ahead of us," she said, "It's just moved and it's in our path."

Gage looked at where the beam of the flashlight ended and saw it too.

"What the…"

* * *

Matt and Walker stood together as Jonathan walked up and joined them.

"What's up," Walker asked.

"Have you finally decided to cut through the bureaucracy and actually do something," Matt said.

Jonathan looked from one another.

"We think we've come up with a plan…"


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14---Here's the latest chapter of the cross-fanfiction story. I hope you like it! Thanks for reading, commenting and for those in the States, hope you're enjoying a nice holiday weekend.

* * *

"What kind of plan," Matt said, looking at Jonathan.

The federal agent looked at both Matt and Walker.

"We're nearing the time when it's going to become clear to the robbers that we're stalling on their demands," Jonathan said.

"That's pretty obvious," Matt said, "so what are you going to do about it?"

"We're flying in our special tactical team," Jonathan said, "They're coming from D.C."

Matt and Walker looked at each other.

"That's all," Matt said, "Isn't that standard operating procedure anyway?"

Walker nodded.

"Yes it is," he said, "but it might not be the best action to take in this case. This Johnson guy's just escaped out of prison, he's trapped inside a bank with hostages and he's very edgy and unstable."

"We know that," Jonathan said, "He's our prisoner."

Walker's eyes flashed but his expression didn't change.

"He's a powder keg waiting to go off."

Jonathan sighed, sitting down next to them.

"We've just gotten the last psych eval done on him and we don't disagree that he has psychological issues."

Walker put up his hand.

"Sending a tactical team in there like a bunch of commandos could set him off to kill everyone in that bank," Walker said.

"Are you sure you're not exaggerating," a voice said.

Matt and Walker looked up to see Denton standing in the doorway.

"I'm pretty sure I'm not," Walker said, "It was our men that caught him and his band during their last job."

"What happened," Matt asked.

"Some hostages died," Walker said, "didn't they?"

Jonathan looked at Denton and nodded slowly.

"You might have a point," he admitted.

Denton narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean," Denton said, "You know the tactical team is the only way to get the maximum number of hostages out of there."

Matt stood up.

"What do you mean, maximum," he said, "Are you going to sit around and draw straws to decide who gets to live if you go in?"

"It doesn't work that way," Denton said, "but we're not giving into their demands and Johnson and his men know that."

"I'm not sacrificing one life in that bank," Walker said, "You better accept that."

Denton folded his arms.

"This operation's going by the book," he said, "in several hours."

Jonathan stepped in.

"We know you both have loved ones in there," he said, "We'll take every step to protect them when we do go in."

Matt shook his head.

"I'm not sacrificing my fiancée," he said, "or any of the others."

Denton pointed his finger, angrily.

"You have no say in this operation," he said, "Consider yourself lucky you even know what's going on."

Walker rubbed his chin.

"I've got two of my best Rangers scouting out those steam tunnels," he said.

Denton scoffed.

"Certainly you can't be serious," he said, "They probably all lead to dead ends and none of them anywhere near the bank."

"It's worth looking at all angles," Walker said, "and this is as good as any."

"It's a long shot at best," Denton argued, "a waste of valuable time at worst."

Brody walked up and looked at Matt.

"What are these bureaucrats fighting about," he asked.

Matt took a water bottle from him.

"They want to charge in with the federal version of a SWAT team," he said.

Brody frowned.

"This early in the operation," he said, "with an unknown number of hostages in there."

"They're going to lose some of them," Matt said.

"Probably," Brody said, "Unless they're damn lucky."

Matt sipped his bottle.

"Walker said that he's got two agents looking through the tunnels," Matt said.

"And did they find anything," Brody said.

"He hasn't heard back from them yet," Matt said, "but they haven't been out that long."

Denton frowned at them.

"I hope you're not planning to interfere with our operation," he said, "or I'll have you both arrested."

Jonathan moved in front of him.

"They're not planning anything," he said, then looked at Matt and Brody for affirmation.

Matt nodded.

"That's right," he said, "but what assurances can you give that all the hostages will be safe?"

Denton set his jaw and looked at Jonathan.

"That's what I thought," Matt said.

Walker sighed.

"We've got to give my team members a chance," he said.

"We don't have the time," Denton said.

"Then we have to do what law enforcement always tries to do in situations like this and that's slow the time clock down," Walker said, simply.

Brody nodded.

"That's what the LAPD did when I was there."

Denton grimaced.

"We're not the LAPD."

"Yeah I can see that," Brody agreed, dryly.

Matt stepped away, not believing what he was hearing. Not believing that the federal agents would propose an operation that considered the potential loss of hostages, collateral damage. He ran his hand through his hair, thinking that he needed to come up with a plan. But he also knew that even if he did, he and Brody couldn't pull it off by themselves. He looked at Walker and saw an expression on his face which he felt certain matched his own. Walker was thinking about his wife being inside there.

"We don't have to buy into their plan," Brody said, standing next to him.

"I'm not giving up on C.J.," Matt said, "and I'm not agreeing to anything that's going to get her and the other hostages killed."

"I'm with you man," Brody said, "and I wouldn't be surprised if we could swing Walker our way."

Matt looked back at the Ranger.

"I doubt it," he said, "He's law enforcement to the core and they always go by the book."

* * *

Earp shone his flashlight into the darkened tunnel to illuminate what had moved in front of them.

"Are you sure you're not just seeing things," he said, "That's not uncommon down here with the steam and all."

"No I'm sure I saw something move," Sydney said, "What about you, Gage?"

He nodded.

"Don't know what it was but there's something definitely in there ahead of us."

Earp shrugged.

"I still say if it's not from the steam, it's from dehydration," he said, "Plays tricks on the mind."

"Just point the flashlight ahead," Sydney said, "I'm sure it's still there."

Earp did, moving it from side to side. He turned to face them.

"I don't see anything," he said.

A shape suddenly emerged behind him.

"There it is again," Sydney said, pointing. "It's fairly good-sized."

Gage looked closer.

"Is it a man?"

Earp shook his head.

"I hardly think so young man," he said, "People don't feel too comfortable staying down here that long."

Earp moved his flashlight back towards the tunnel, grumbling.

"I still…"

Suddenly a man appeared in front of them. Earp frowned.

"Who are you?"

The man dressed in army fatigues glared at him.

"I'm down here looking for the monster of course," he said.

Sydney and Gage looked at each other.

"Monster," Gage muttered.

"Just a legend," Earp said, "Of course you never really know…"

"I've seen it," the man said, matter of factly, "Well, not the monster itself but foot prints."

Earp scratched his head.

"I've never seen it," he said.

"What does it look like," Sydney said.

Gage scoffed.

"Syd, you're not buying into this nonsense…"

She turned to look at him.

"Just be quiet while I ask him some questions about what he's seen," she said.

Gage folded his arms. The man looked at him and frowned.

"Typical nonbeliever," he said, "but this creature's about yey tall."

Sydney noted that his hand gestures put the creature at about eight feet tall.

"And he's very hairy," the man said, "with a funny smell."

"That sounds like some of the guys you hang out with, Syd," Gage said.

Sydney glared at her partner.

"Okay, you've described this…thing but you just said you never saw it."

The man scowled and flinched.

"I've dreamed about him," he said.

"Oh great," Gage said, "Now he's saying he dreamed it up."

"Shhhhh," Sydney chided, "I want to hear the rest of it."

The man looked at her, doubtful. She raised her brows and he continued.

"He feeds on rats, snakes and other animals," the man said, "Perhaps even human flesh."

Earp snorted.

"Stop scaring these young people with your stories," he said, "No one's been lost in these tunnels…at least in the last 10 years."

Sydney looked at Gage who just looked back at her, as the two men continued arguing about the legendary creature who wandered the steam tunnels of downtown Houston.

* * *

C.J. looked at her watch. Chris' contractions still remained far apart but sweat broke out on her friend's brow. Alex sat down next to her.

"How you doing," she asked.

Chris looked up gamely.

"I'm doing great," she said, "I'm just waiting for us to get out of here so I can have my baby."

Alex looked at C.J.

"She's still early on," she said, "It could be hours or even longer yet."

"It could be sooner," C.J. said, "and we have to be ready for that."

"We will be," Alex said, "It's not what I thought I'd be doing today when I got up this morning."

C.J. chuckled despite herself.

"Me neither," she said, "Of course, I ran out of bed and then ran to the bathroom about a minute later, so I wasn't thinking very much."

"How you feeling now," Alex asked.

"I feel okay," she said, "A little tired but it'll pass."

"Maybe you should get some rest," Alex said, "Your body's going through a lot of changes, robbery or not and you need to take it easier."

"I can't," C.J. said, "not until we're all out of here."

"That's not going to be for a while," Alex said.

C.J. looked around the office where the other women sat or napped fretfully.

"I know they're working hard out there," C.J. said, "but we have to do something in here."

Alex nodded.

"I don't know what would work in a situation like this," she said, "We know these men are capable of violence because they killed the guard."

"We have to find their vulnerabilities," C.J. said, "and exploit them."

"Easier said than done," Alex said, "but I know that you're right.

* * *

C.J. sat at her desk in her office when the phone rang.

"Hi, Houston is that you?"

"The very same," he said, "Have I caught you at a bad time?"

She smiled.

"No, no, I was just catching up on finishing up some reports on some cases," she said, "All of which ended happily for a change."

"That's great," he said, "I'm almost done here and then I'll pack for the wedding in Colorado."

"I'm all packed," she said, "I just have to book a flight."

"Hey, forget flying commercial," he said, "I'm taking the jet. Why don't I pick you up on the way there?"

C.J. chuckled.

"Houston, the straightest line from L.A. to Colorado is not through Southern Texas."

"I know my geography," he said, "But it would save you money and bad plane food."

"They don't really serve food on planes anymore," she mused.

"Then that's even better," Matt said, "I'll bring some great food on board and I can guarantee you more legroom and no baggage limitations on one of my flights"

She laughed.

"I'm packing light this time," she said.

"Then are you willing to join me?"

"What about your date," C.J. said, "Is she going to be okay with the detour to pick me up?"

He hesitated.

"She had to cancel," he said, "I'm going stag."

"So am I," she said, "Rhonda's already left to meet up with Jonathan to fly there together."

"Talk about traveling out of your way," Matt said, "So will you take me up on my offer?"

She hesitated.

"Are you sure she…"

"Nichole…"

"Oh…well are you sure she won't change her mind about going?"

"Why do you ask?"

His question surprised her.

"I'm just curious," she said, "I thought things were going well between the two of you."

"They were…but we're going our separate ways."

An answer she hadn't expected.

"Oh…that too bad," she said, "I'm sorry."

He tried to change the subject.

"What about you," he said, "Why are you going alone?"

She paused. A question she couldn't answer, even for herself let alone her best friend.

"I'm…not, "she said, "We're going together on your plane, right?"

"I'll pick up you up after work on Friday," he said.

* * *

C.J. smiled, her memories taking her away from the events surrounding her. They provided some respite from trying to figure out what to navigate through the quick sand which she felt she had been walking across since the robbers took over the bank.

"Trying to figure out what happens next?"

C.J. looked up and saw Alex.

"I was thinking about Houston and our trip to Colorado to attend a friend's wedding."

"A very good friend?"

C.J. nodded.

"They're both very good friends," she said, "They helped me through a very difficult time though they weren't in a relationship yet."

"But they got married," Alex said, "That's great."

"It was a nice wedding," C.J. said, "My friend Rhonda was a bit nervous because she was meeting Jonathan's parents."

"Ah, that can be interesting," Alex said, "I don't know with Walker because his were murdered."

"How awful," C.J. said.

"He was very angry for a long time after they were killed," she said, "But he lived with an extended family on the reservation and they healed his heart. They're very warm people."

"That must have been difficult," C.J. said, "My father was murdered when I was a little girl. They never caught the guy who did it."

Alex shook her head.

"Must have been tough on you and your mother," Alex said.

"My mother didn't live very long after that," C.J. said, "I think she died of a broken heart more than anything else. I went to live in Texas with my uncle on his ranch."

"Close to your fiancée, I imagine."

"Pretty close by," C.J. said, "It wasn't long before we became best friends. We spent a lot of time outside of school working on each other's ranches."

"We have a ranch," Alex said, "I never thought I'd love it as much as I do, but it's the perfect place to raise Angela."

C.J. placed her hand on her belly. Alex smiled as she did it, pretty sure the other woman was unaware of her actions.

"We're still working on our house," C.J. said, "I had some paint samples to look at but still haven't decided and we're trying to buy a piece of land near this lake to add onto it."

"I'm sure it's beautiful," Alex said, "It's so great to come home to all that beauty at the end of a frantic work day."

C.J. smiled.

"Tell me about it," she said, "I can't wait until we move there."

Gloria walked up.

"Do you think they're going to release us soon," she asked.

C.J. just looked at her.

"No," she said, "I couldn't even get them to release Chris, the woman who's about to give birth there."

Gloria frowned.

"Damn, I still thought I had a chance to make that photo shoot."

C.J. sighed.

"You're not going to make your appointment," she said, "I'm sure they'll understand that you have a good excuse."

Gloria grimaced, as she looked at her fingernails.

"There won't be any chance to provide any excuse," she said, "This was my one and only chance."

Alex smiled, gritting her teeth beneath it.

"Gloria…honey," she said, "Life provides more than one opportunity."

The other woman snarled.

"Is there were you spill the platitudes about when a door is shut, a window is opened or something like that?"

"No, this is where I tell you to sit down over there and get yourself together so you don't endanger the rest of us with your histrionics."

"You have no right to tell me what to do," Gloria said, folding her arms, "You're not in charge."

C.J. threw up her arms.

"Okay, but you do realize that the more you whine, the more you'll draw attention from the robbers and if they do decide to make some sort of point to the authorities and shoot one of us, guess who's going to come to mind first?"

Gloria gasped.

"Surely, not me…"

C.J. continued, ignoring the change in her demeanor.

"Yes you," she said, "Because if they take out the one who's whining and complaining, then they've solved two problems."

Gloria just stared at her.

"That's so cold," she said, "You just don't like me because I'm prettier."

C.J. nodded.

"That's it exactly," she said, "I always wanted to be a blonde."

Alex sighed.

"It's not all it's cracked up to be."

Gloria just scowled, and then smiled at C.J.

"Well, you can't everything," she said, "I'm sure you're quite…smart."

"I hope so," C.J. said, "If not, then my seven years of education just went to waste."

"See, you have something that some guy might like," Gloria said.

C.J. suppressed a laugh.

"A thing or two," she said, winking at Alex.

Gloria sauntered off and both women breathed a sigh of relief.

"I hope she doesn't get us all killed," C.J. said, "I really want to check out how the new hardwood floors turned out."

"You will," Alex said, "I know that all those people working hard out there will get us out of here."

C.J. looked at Chris' direction.

"Hopefully sooner, rather than later."

* * *

They continued walking down the tunnel, having left the stranger behind to continue his hunt for the elusive creature.

"That guy's nuts," Gage said.

"I thought his story was very interesting," Sydney said, "You have to keep an open mind Gage, there are more things in this world than we know or understand."

Gage scoffed.

"In these tunnels," he said, "I doubt it unless you're talking about rats and snakes."

"And alligators," Sydney said, looking around for any signs of one.

Earp snorted a few feet ahead of them.

"I heard that," he said, "What did I tell you about my hearing?"

Sydney cleared her throat.

"That it was as sharp as when…"

Gage frowned.

"Never mind, Syd," he said, wiping his reddened face, "Man it's hot in here."

Earp laughed.

"It's a steam tunnel young man," he said, "Something would be wrong if it weren't hot."

Sydney felt the dampness on her shirt prickle her back.

"Any chance there's a tunnel that's air-conditioned?"

Earp turned to look at him, shaking his head.

"I thought you Rangers were the toughest breed," he said.

"That would be Navy SEALs but we come a close second," Gage corrected, "How long have we been walking?"

Earp paused.

"Not long at all," he said, "In fact, we've just gotten started."

Gage and Sydney looked at each other and groaned.

* * *

Matt and Brody watched as Dan walked towards them where they sat next to the trailer.

"What did you find out," Matt asked.

"I talked to some old buddies of mine with HPD and they've handed this whole operation off to those feds," Dan said, "They're supportive only."

"That's what the feds told us," Matt said.

"Leaving it to a SWAT type operation makes me nervous," Dan said, "What's going to happen to those hostages in there?"

"They told us they might lose some of them," Brody said.

Dan shook his head.

"I'm not accepting that," he said, "My wife is in there, your fiancée…There's got to be something that can be done."

Matt looked up at him.

"I'm trying to think of something," he said, "I want to hear back from Walker's agents who are checking out those underground passages."

"You mean the steam tunnels," Dan said, "We were never sure exactly where they went because the only maps are really old…"

"It's got to be very hot and humid down there," Matt said.

Dan nodded.

"Take a tropical jungle and multiply it several times and that's how it feels."

"Really," Brody said, "I left my Bermuda shorts at home."

"If it's the best way inside the bank," Matt said, "I'll take it."

Brody nodded.

"Maybe we should go off and try to find out where these tunnels are located," he said.

Matt nodded.

"Let's go," he said.

The three of them took off down the street.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15, the latest chapter in the cross-fiction. Hope you enjoy reading it and thanks for the comments! I also published another older MH story I found that I wrote years ago which is an alternate version of the last episode with some other MS stories and those for other shows. The plot's a bit strange but I hope you like it.

* * *

Matt, Dan and Brody walked down a dimly lit street trying to follow the directions given to them about the steam tunnels. They looked down at the ground but couldn't find the landmarks that their source had directed them to look for.

"Do you think we're lost," Brody asked.

"I know this street like the back of my hand," Dan said, "and I don't remember even hearing much about steam tunnels."

Matt looked at his crudely drawn map.

"The street's name is clearly written here," he said, "We have to keep looking."

They continued on down the street, seeing only occasional couples walking down the street leaving clubs and a homeless person or two picking through the trash bins. One of them an older guy, looked at them curiously, then shook his head and went back to his business.

Matt got an idea. He left his friends and walked up to the guy.

"Hi, I seem to be lost here," he said, "Can you give me some directions?"

The man just looked at him.

"I can pay you," he said, "How about $50?"

The man wrinkled his nose and started to turn away.

"Okay, what about a $100," Matt said.

The man stopped in his tracks.

"I don't know why guys like you always think we're begging for money," the man said.

Matt put up his hands.

"I didn't mean to offend you," he said, "It's just that I was looking for the steam tunnels and I got really complicated directions and that's why I'm asking for your help."

The man gestured for the piece of paper and Matt handed it to them. He studied it intently.

Dan and Brody walked up to Matt and they all watched the homeless man, who suddenly broke into a grin.

"The reason you're so confused," he said, "is because whoever wrote you these directions got his street directions mixed up."

Matt and Brody looked at each other.

"So we go about 10 blocks in the other direction," Matt asked.

The man frowned.

"It's not quite that simple," he said, "You give me the $100 and I'll take you there."

"We'll give you $50 now and the other half when we get there," Matt said.

The man nodded and Matt pulled out his wallet to pay him. The man folded the money and placed it in his pocket.

"Do you have a name," Matt asked.

The man gave that some thought.

"It's Jacob," he said, finally.

Matt introduced himself and his friends, and they all shook hands.

"Okay Jacob, let's go," he said.

* * *

Matt unlocked the door to the house and he and C.J. walked into its spacious living room.

"Wow," she said, turning around to take it all in, "This is really nice."

He wrapped her in his arms from behind as they looked at the stone fireplace and generous hearth.

"It gets cold at night out here," he said, "That will come in handy."

"We could have s'more parties," she said, winking at him.

He laughed and moved closer to look up the chimney, which appeared to be clean and in good shape.

She took his hand, in her own.

"I want to check out the rest of the house."

Later, they sat on the front steps looking out into the open space.

"So what do you think," he asked.

"I really like this place," she said, "It does need a lot of work, especially the kitchen and the barn out back."

"We could do that or hire contractors to help us."

"I'd like us to do it," she said, "It would be a great experience and it would make really ours."

He nodded.

"I did a fair share of construction work," he said, "while I was in high school and college."

"We could come up on weekends and do the work," she said, thoughtfully.

"We could stay out here then," he said, "There are plenty of rooms."

"Office rooms for both of us, maybe even a library," she said.

"And a nursery or two," Matt said.

C.J.'s cheeks flushed.

"Can't forget that," she said, softly.

He grabbed both of her hands in his own.

"So when do you want to get started," he said.

"When we're married," she said.

He smiled at her and scratched the back of his neck.

"I mean, with the house..."

She nodded, her cheeks pink.

"If we buy it and start after they hand us the keys, we could be done by Christmas," she said, "and celebrate it in our new house.

"So you really want this place," he asked.

She nodded, excitedly.

"Yes," she said, "What about you?"

"I like it," he said, "I especially like the spacious back yard. Maybe we can inquire about purchasing some of the adjoining properties and add on."

"I'd love the one by the lake," she said, "Why don't we try to find out who owns it?"

"We could ask our realtor to research and give them a call," Matt said.

C.J. nodded happily, then jumped up and started walking around looking at the trees. Matt sat and watched her, feeling at peace with the world and the life he had chosen for himself.

* * *

"What were you thinking about," Alex asked.

C.J. broke from where she had been, in a world much removed from the bank.

"I was thinking about our new house," she said, "Actually our new old house. The hardwood floors were finally going to be finished and some of the plumbing that needed to be fixed. I was looking at some paint shades."

Alex smiled.

"That sounds exciting," she said, "Remodeling homes can be a very interesting experience but ultimately very rewarding."

"We were having a great time doing it," C.J. said, "We wanted to get done before the Christmas holidays but we might have to hire some extra help now that I'm pregnant."

"That shouldn't be any problem," Alex said, "There's a lot of people, experienced in construction looking for work in this area."

"I'm still doing the interior decorating," C.J. said, "I've already got some ideas picked out to run by Matt."

"Guys tend to like to play with their tool kits and leave the decorating to the women," Alex said.

C.J. laughed.

"Matt wants us to get it finished before the wedding," C.J. said, "That'll be pushing it, I think."

"Will you still get married there," Alex said.

"We both want to but we'll do it outside if the weather holds up," she said, "Of course, when Houston finds out that there's a baby coming, he might try to push the wedding up."

"Well, you can't blame him for that," she said, "I think Walker would have done the same thing or at least tried it."

C.J. looked at her hands.

"I'm fine with waiting," she said, "by then hopefully the morning sickness will be gone. I hope."

"It should be," Alex said, "I had it really bad all day, every day and it was gone by the fourth month."

"Houston wanted to get married right away in the middle of a hurricane," C.J. said, "I just wanted to plan it a little, nothing fancy just to have our family and friends there."

"That sounds nice," Alex said, "and I think that most men get impatient because once they decide to commit, they want to go full tilt so they can feel to belong to a family."

C.J. nodded.

"Most of his family is gone," she said, "except an uncle and a cousin."

"What about you," Alex asked.

"I don't have any family left. My uncle was the last to pass on," she said, "Just Houston."

Alex sighed.

"Walker lost his parents to a bigot but he has an extended family," she said, "I had a father but we were estranged for a long time, but he saved my life."

"Really?"

Alex smiled and nodded.

"Yes, I was falsely accused of killing an old boyfriend," she said, "The one that gave me the bruise remember?"

"Oh yeah," C.J. said, "I remember seeing it on your face at our Friday night hangout, but that was years ago."

"Yeah, well he came back into my life and someone else murdered him and framed me," she said, "When it got out that he had abused me, it made their job much easier."

"But you must have been acquitted," C.J. said.

"Walker and my father worked tirelessly to exonerate me and find the real killers," Alex said, "It helped my father and I get much closer."

C.J. nodded.

"I wish I'd gotten to know my father," she said, "I don't have many memories of him."

"Do you have any pictures," Alex asked, "to show your children?"

"Yeah some," she said, "They came with the estate. I'm going to put them in the new house when it's finished."

* * *

Sydney looked at Gage and began worrying about her partner. He looked dehydrated and he spent most of the past half hour walking bent over or holding onto the pipes lining the wall.

"Are you okay, partner?"

Gage looked up, face flushed and sweat drenching his shirt.

"I can keep up with you if that's what you mean," he said.

Sydney stopped.

"Gage, if you're getting sick, you need to go back," she said.

"I'm feeling fine," he said, "I'm just a little hot."

Earp turned to take a look at him.

"You do like as flushed as the rear end of a…"

Gage put his hand up.

"I get the picture," he said, "I just need a few minutes rest."

"You need some fresh air Gage," Sydney said.

"We've already been walking miles probably most of it in circles," he said, "I can hang on if you can."

Sydney folded her arms and glared at him.

"Don't go macho on me," she said, "or I'll drop kick you and get that guy we just ran into back there to carry you out."

He leaned towards her.

"I'd like to see you try," he said, "I'm staying."

She put her hands up.

"Okay, but if you collapse from heat exhaustion because of your stubbornness, I've still got to explain it to Walker," she said.

"I don't have heat exhaustion," Gage insisted.

Earp looked at the two of them going at it for a minute.

"Do you two always fight like this?"

Gage rolled his eyes.

"No"

Sydney pursed her lips.

"Yes"

Earp looked back and forth between the two of them, then shook his head.

"Okay, so which is it," he said, "You argue all the time..."

"Only some of the time," Gage said, rolling up his sleeves, "Isn't that right, Syd?"

She nodded.

"The heat's just getting to us," she said, "We work well together most of the time."

Earp nodded.

"I see," he said, "and you do make up after you fight, right?"

Gage and Sydney looked at each other, puzzled.

"Well yeah," Gage said, "or else we wouldn't be able to work together."

Earp waved his hand.

"Oh that's how it was with my first wife," he said, "We fought like cats and dogs too, but afterward when we cooled down, we had our ways of making up."

"Like what," Gage asked.

Sydney nudged him with her elbow.

"Er…Gage," she started.

He turned around to face her, sweat drops flying off of face.

"No, I want to hear it," he said, "Maybe it will help us through our…occasional disagreements."

Sydney's face became more flushed if that were possible.

"Gage…he's talking about… male…female…"

Gage nodded, following along.

"And…"

Sydney sighed.

"Never mind," she said, "isn't going to happen."

Gage tilted his head.

"You mean sex right," he said.

Sydney raised her brows.

"Oh I knew Syd," Gage said, laughing, "I just like watching you blush."

"That's interesting coming from someone who's as red in the face as you are right now," she said.

Earp laughed at the two of them.

"Now that the two of you have settled…your differences," he said, "Perhaps we'd better get moving."

So they did but while walking, they kept glaring at each other.

* * *

Walker sat in his chair, remembering the day that he and Alex had brought their baby, Angela home from the hospital to where a lot of their closest friends were waiting to host them a party. The festivity warmed the hearts of both of them after the near tragic circumstances they had been fortunate enough to walk away from as a family. He had called the woman looking after Angela to check up on her and the woman said that his daughter still slept peacefully.

That filled him with relief that at least he could spare his daughter the terror and stress of having her mother placed in yet another potentially deadly situation. He sighed as he ran through the scenarios that Simon and Jonathon had presented to him earlier involving the SWAT team. He had tried to call Gage and Sydney earlier to see if they had made any progress in their navigation through the labyrinth of steam tunnels beneath the city. However, he couldn't reach them and knew he probably had to wait until they could reach him and tell him whether they had good or bad news.

He put his head in his hands, knowing that any strategic move that sent in the heavily armed SWAT team would endanger the same hostages it was meant to save. And one of those hostages could be his wife. He didn't blame Matt and his friends for walking away and looking into other options, even if their actions could complicate the federal agents' own operation. Matt didn't seem to be the kind of man who sat around and waited for nothing to happen. Walker had read about his experiences with the FBI and U.S. Marshal's office during the crisis involving him, his fiancée and one of the world's biggest human traffickers.

"Hey Walker, can I speak to you for a moment," a man said.

Walker recognized Jonathan's voice and nodded. Jonathan sighed as he sat in a chair next to him.

"I know you're not thrilled with what we're proposing," Jonathan said, pulling his tie, "Truth be told, I'm not either…"

"You better not let your people hear you express any doubts," Walker cautioned, "or they'll send you back to Dallas."

"I'm often critical of my federal colleagues," Jonathan said, "after all, I used to in the Marshal's office."

Walker nodded.

"I read you quit for a while and then came back as a G-Man," he said, "Most people who walk away from the feds stay away."

Jonathan looked at his hands.

"I almost did that too," he said, "I took off and traveled for a while, I got married and thought about going into business for myself, but then I realized I'm not a businessman, I'm a public servant."

Walker laughed.

"You mean you're a bureaucrat," he said.

"Maybe sometimes," Jonathan admitted, "but I really do enjoy helping people and catching criminals. I found out that's not something I could walk away from."

"So you came back as a junior FBI agent," Walker said.

Jonathan nodded.

"Fortunately I have a very understanding wife," he said, "though the move to Dallas was tempered by the fact we both know people in Houston."

"You know Matt and C.J."

"C.J. and I were involved in a relationship years ago," Jonathan said, "My current wife, Rhonda is a close friend of hers."

"So what are you doing on this case being emotionally involved in it," Walker asked.

"The same thing you are," Jonathan responded. "trying to get everyone out of there."

Walker nodded.

"Your plan doesn't guarantee that every hostage is going to walk out of there."

Jonathan poured himself some coffee.

"I know that," he said, "but Simon's adamant. He means well but he believes force is the best form of diplomacy."

"Yeah, well when we're tripping over bodies after the SWAT team goes in," Walker said, "that won't be diplomacy."

Jonathan looked into his mug.

"We'll try to take every precaution," he said.

"It won't be enough," Walker said, "and we both know that."

Jonathan looked around him.

"Where's Matt anyway?"

"He and his friends took off," Walker said, "They're trying to find another way in."

"Have you heard from your two Rangers yet?"

Walker shook his head.

"Not for a while," he said, "but cell phone reception probably doesn't exist inside those tunnels."

Jonathan leaned forward.

"Do you really think they might be successful?"

"I sent them out to explore every single option for getting inside that bank," Walker said, "especially ones that lead to entrances that the robbers don't know about."

"How much time do you think you need to find out either way," Jonathan asked.

"An hour or two," Walker said, "I can't imagine it taking any longer than that."

Jonathan got up.

"Maybe I can buy you a little more time with the FBI," he said, "I don't know how much so if I get you any, don't waste any of it."

"We won't," Walker said, "Thanks."

Jonathan nodded and left the room.

* * *

C.J. looked at him, working in the garden outside of the cabin. He was so busy with his work he hadn't noticed her return. Several small trees had been planted and several freshly dug holes awaited more plants. She smiled as she watched him pull the dirt out with his hands, sweat breaking out on the back of his shirt. She walked closer to him.

"Do you need any help," she asked.

He looked up at her, his face smudged with dirt.

"You're back."

She knelt beside him and stroked the tree trunks with her hands.

"These are beautiful," she said, "They'll make great shade trees."

"I know," he said, "That's why I planted them. That and it's helping me feel better."

"Are you still dizzy," she asked.

"Not as much," he said, "I might get better after all."

She put her hand on his shoulder.

"Sure you will," she said, "I'm just so sorry."

He stopped his work and looked at her.

"What's to be sorry about," he said.

She ran her hand over her face.

"If it weren't for me," she said.

His eyes grew serious.

"It wasn't you," he said, "In fact, if it weren't for you and Brody, I wouldn't be here."

She sighed.

"But the only reason you nearly died…"

"I didn't die," he said, "and Brody told me everything that you did to find the antidote."

She looked up at him, startled.

"What did he tell you," she asked.

He reached out to stroke the hair out of her face.

"He told me about your visit to the past," he said.

She turned away.

"Oh that," she said.

"Yes, that," he said, "He didn't tell me much about it but it must not have been pleasant."

She smiled and started to pull away.

"It wasn't anything," she said, "I just did what I had to do."

He grabbed her arm.

"Don't run away again," he asked.

She sat back down.

"I wasn't," she said, "I just needed some time alone to think."

He looked at her for a minute.

"If you need to put some space between us while you figure things out, that's fine," he said, "I'll be here when you're done."

She narrowed her eyebrows.

"Who said anything about wanting space?"

"But…"

"I just needed to do some thinking so I walked out to the lake," she said, "and just stayed there for a while until I was finished."

"And then you came back," he finished.

She nodded.

"I love you," she said, "Whatever else is going on, I hope you know that."

He nodded.

"I love you too," he said, "but if you need time to figure things…"

She stopped him by putting her arms around him and drawing his strong body close enough so she could feel his heart beat against her chest. Then she kissed him, drawing him even closer, wrapping herself in his scent. He ran his hands through her hair.

"I don't want to talk anymore…"

Neither did he.

* * *

Matt and his friends followed Jacob until they reached an alley, which was very dimly lit but looked empty. Jacob gestured to them and the three men looked at each other wondering if their guide were setting them up for an ambush. Still, Matt knew he had to follow but kept his hand near his firearm just in case.

The man pointed to the storm drain that was located near the dumpster.

"Isn't that a drain," Matt asked.

"It starts out as one but one of the entrances to the steam tunnels is just inside of it," Jacob said, "Now I believe you owe me the rest of my money."

Matt pulled out his wallet and gave him the other $50. The man tucked it away in his pants.

"You do know your way down there," he asked, "It's very easy to get lost down there."

The men looked at each other.

"Of course, if you pay me more money, I can guide you to where you want to go," Jacob said.

The three men looked at each other and nodded.

* * *

C.J. awoke from her nap, looking around her until she looked up and saw Fran, who stood above her.

"C.J.," she said, "It's Chris, her pains are getting worse."

C.J. jumped up and followed her friend, wondering what she needed to do next.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16---Another chapter of the cross-fiction. I hope you like it and thanks for the comments!

* * *

Walker looked at his watch and sighed. He knew that Jonathan had brought him and his crew some extra time with the feds and he didn't want to waste it. Reaching Gage and Sydney on their cells had been a futile effort so he figured they were still exploring the tunnels, trying to find one that led to the bank. He hoped that they hit pay dirt, knowing that if they did, any entrance they discovered would be unknown to the robbers. This way, they could enter with the element of surprise rather than storm through the front door.

A lot fewer losses of life that way. And with his wife…he couldn't think about her. He had to consider all the hostages besides the one he had a personal attachment towards, and had to keep all of them safe. He realized that the best way to do that was to choose brains over force. If he and Jonathan could only persuade the rest of the feds that was the best and safest plan of action.

"Walker, you're thinking too much," Alex said, as she entered his home office and saw him bent over a stack of folders.

He looked up at her and smiled.

"I just have these reports to sign off on," He said, "When we spent all day bringing down that narcotics ring in Waco, it didn't leave us with much time to spend pencil pushing."

"Your daughter's waiting for her bedtime story," Alex said, "She won't go to sleep until she hears it."

Walker rubbed his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I didn't know it was getting late. I'll be there in a few minutes."

She sat down in a nearby chair and watched him work. She worried that he had poured too much time into his work since the beginning of this latest operation and hoped that now that the ring leaders had finally been hauled in by his division that he could relax for a while. But even as she wished that, she knew that it was only a matter of time until the next case arrived on his desk. Something had to give, if these cases continued to pile up and she worried it would be Walker.

"Walker honey," she said.

"Yes Alex?"

"Maybe it's time that you start thinking about taking a vacation," she said, "just a couple of weeks to get away from work."

He sighed.

"You know I can't take off right now," he said, "I've got two narcotics cases coming in right after this one."

"Why isn't Dallas PD handling more of them," Alex said, "It's their turf after all."

"They're overwhelmed with so many cartels coming over the border," Walker said, "They need every law enforcement body they can get…and every agency."

"But Walker, you come home so late and you look so stressed," she said, "are you even eating at work?"

He nodded.

"Here and there," he said, "I keep thinking that I can take a break after we bring down this operation, but you know what they say, for every organization put out of business…

She sighed.

"Another five come up and fill the vacuum," she said, "and that often increases the violence level."

"Which is why I haven't had much time to do anything else lately," he said.

"I'm just worried about you," Alex said.

"I know," Walker said, "but I'm doing the best I can. Any time off is going to have to wait."

Walker thought about that conversation and closed his eyes, wishing he could take it back. All he wanted right now was to be at home surrounded by his family. But the only way to get there was to deal with the crisis in front of him like the fully experienced and trained Texas Ranger that he was and that was that.

* * *

C.J. ran over to where Chris lay down on the floor, taking some deep breaths. Fran sat next to her, giving her some instruction.

"How's it going," C.J. asked.

Fran and Chris looked up.

"I think she's having her baby here," Fran said, "unless these bank robbers have a quick change of heart."

C.J. shook her head.

"Not likely, I'm afraid," she said, before kneeling next to Chris, "It's going to be okay."

Chris looked up.

"I know," she said, "but I would much rather be in a hospital with plenty of medical staff and my husband and an epidural…"

"You'll do fine without one," Fran said.

"That's easy for you to say," Chris said, "You're not lying here."

"Been there, done that," Fran said.

"But not inside a bank," Chris said, "I don't know what to do."

C.J. took her hand.

"Look, whatever happens it's going to be okay," she said, "You've got Fran and you've got me and we're going to make sure you and your baby will be fine."

Chris blinked back some tears.

"How can you do that," she said.

"We're going to do our best but you're going to have to help us too," C.J. said.

Chris nodded.

"I know that," she said, "It's just a bit overwhelming."

C.J. hugged her shoulders.

"It's going to be okay," she said, "Fran and I will see to that."

* * *

C.J. sat in the police station waiting for her turn to be interviewed as a witness in the case that the Arizona State Police were building against Sheriff Bunz and Seymor Piser for operating a prostitution ring out of a county jail facility. Matt had sat with her but had gotten up to make a phone call back to L.A. to tell everyone that he had found her and that they'd be coming home the following day.

C.J. heard some footsteps and looked up. Fran had approached her, wearing a change of clothes provided by the police detectives.

"When do you think they'll let us out of here," C.J. asked.

Fran shrugged.

"Probably not until they're done talking to everyone," she said, "not that it makes any real difference to most of us."

"What do you mean?"

Fran sat down beside her.

"Most of us don't have any place to go," she said, "or any family that will take us in if we've got family at all."

"That's terrible," C.J. said, "So what will you do?"

Fran looked straight ahead.

"They'll give us about fifty bucks and a motel voucher," she said.

"That's not right," C.J. said, "You risked your life to save a lot of women."

Fran smiled slightly.

"I'm out of that mess and that's enough," she said, "I'll figure the rest out."

Matt walked back and saw the two women talking.

"Hi there," he said, to Fran, "They've just transported both Bunz and Peyser to isolation in the county men's lockup. No bail's been set yet."

"That's good," Fran said, "You were right about it being their last party."

"Well, there's still the investigation and any prosecution but I think they're going to have to reconsider their line of work after a nice long stint in prison," Matt said.

"So did you contact Roy," C.J. asked.

"Yeah he's back from the film festival in Palm Springs and is expecting us back tomorrow," Matt said, "We'll sleep here over night and head back tomorrow morning."

"We could leave now and head back tonight," C.J. said.

"You're tired and you've still got a drug that's got to work its way through your system," he said, "and when's the last time you ate?"

She nodded. As eager as she was to leave this small desert town behind her, she knew she needed to take some time and process everything that had happened during the past several days.

"Okay, that will be great," she said.

"Are you ready to go," Matt asked.

She stood up and he put his arm around her shoulder.

"I've got the car waiting outside.

She looked at Fran who still sat there with her bundle of possessions.

"Thank you Fran," she said, "You were really brave."

Fran nodded and gestured towards Matt.

"So was he."

Matt thanked her once again and he and C.J. left to go to the hotel.

"It's great to get out of there," she said, leaning her head against him.

"It sure is," he said, "Now let's go to the hotel and get something to eat."

She nodded, and then looked back at the police station.

"What's the matter," he asked.

She looked back at him and sighed.

"I'm worried about the other women," she said, "I don't know how many of them have family who even know they were missing."

He rubbed her shoulder.

"I'm sure the department will help them find relatives or a place to stay," he said, "I asked my friend to make sure of that."

"Thank you," she said, "I just feel lucky to have someone like you who came looking for me."

"I'll always be there for you," he said, as they walked to where the car was parked.

She listened to him, but she also thought that there must be something that she could do to help the other women just as her friend had helped her. And just then, inside her an idea took shape.

* * *

Sydney cursed, not for the first time as she accidentally hit her head on a low-hanging pipe. The steam made it difficult to see more than a few feet ahead and for sure, she knew they must be lost. Gage had picked up his pace a bit, no doubt concerned that he would be branded the weak link in this recognizance trip through the underbelly of Houston.

"Are you hurt," Gage asked, nearly bumping into Sydney who had stopped suddenly in front of him to rub her head.

"I'm okay," she said, "We've got to keep moving."

"We can't even keep up with that old geezer," Gage said, looking ahead at Earp.

Earp looked behind them.

"Are you two going to make it or should we go back?"

"No!" they said in unison.

He nodded and wiped his brow.

"Then we'd better get going," he said, "We're almost there."

Sydney raised a brow at Gage, not knowing whether they should take their guide seriously.

"How much further," she asked Earp.

"About a block or so," he said.

That perked the two Rangers up.

"We're close," Gage said, "What we need to do is find out there's an entrance and then backtrack several blocks and put in our calls."

Sydney nodded.

"Let's hope that it reaches all the way to the bank," she said, "It will make our job easier."

* * *

Meanwhile in another area of the steam tunnels, Jacob led Matt and his friends through the network of tunnels that blew warm humid air in their faces. Brody had hit a convenience store and bought them a couple of bottled waters apiece. Something Matt thanked him silently for as he took a sip before moving on.

"Does this guy know where he's going," Dan said, "How can you tell one of these passageways apart from another?"

"He seems to be able to do so," Brody said, "the guy's like a bloodhound."

Jacob turned towards them and gestured with his hands.

"It's about one mile this way," he said, "We should get there in less than an hour."

They continued following him, only stopping occasionally to sip some of their water stash and wipe the sweat off their faces so they could see ahead of them.

"I just hope we can get there in time," Dan said.

"Well, finding the entrance if there is one, is only part of the work," Matt said, "We also have to create a plan to get in and we're going to need Walker's help."

"So we'll give him a call if we find anything," Dan said, "I wonder how Chris is holding up."

"She seemed to be doing well when they ordered the pizzas," Matt said, "Brody couldn't see anything. He got a camera in there but it's just picking up action in the lobby and no one's in there except a dead security guard."

"Hey, I tried my best," Brody said, "but the pizza delivery business doesn't leave you with much room to plant bugs."

"C.J. is with her and so is Fran," Matt said, "They'll take care of her in case anything happens."

"What if she has her baby," Dan asked.

"Then they'll do the best they can," Matt said, "These are two very capable ladies who can handle just about anything life throws them. Chris is in good hands."

"I know," Dan said, quietly, "and I know that you've got C.J. in there too and how hard that must be."

Matt sipped from his water bottle.

"I'm not letting anything happen to her," he said, I'm not going to let the feds put her life at greater risk either."

"Jonathan's better than most of them," Dan said.

"I know that, but when he transferred to the FBI, his seniority didn't come with him," Matt said, "so he doesn't have a lot of say in what they're planning."

"We'd better keep going then," Brody said, "The sooner we find the end of this tunnel, the more time that will give us to present the G-Men on top with some better options."

* * *

Jonathan came out and saw Walker punching out some keys on a lap top. He looked down and saw the blue prints for the bank.

"I think I bought us a couple more hours," Jonathan said, "But Denton wants to hear from one of your guys within the hour."

"There's two team down there now," Walker said, "Matt Houston and his friends are down there as well."

Jonathan sighed.

"They'll probably get lost without a guide," he said.

"They probably found one," Walker said, "At least that's what he said the last time he called. It's a homeless guy but most often, there the experts for alternate forms of transportation."

Jonathan sat down throwing his hands up.

"Matt's very resourceful," Jonathan said, "and highly trained and experienced. I have no doubt that he's capable of pulling off the act of finding another way in through those tunnels."

"So are my Rangers," Walker countered, "between the two teams, if there's an entrance into that bank, we'll find it."

"And we've got people inside who can survive anything," Jonathan said, "C.J.'s been through hell and back and has come out of it pretty well. Very formidable and tough in her line of work."

Walker smiled.

"So I've heard," he said, "My wife hates going up against her on this latest case."

"Yeah well, so do we," Jonathan said with a sigh, "I still hope we can all get together in court when this is over and hammer something out that's agreeable to everyone."

"That's not even counting my wife," Walker said, "Tough as nails inside and outside a courtroom. She's been in hostage situations before so she knows what to do."

* * *

Alex walked up to C.J. who knelt next to Chris.

"How's she feeling," she asked.

"She's getting pains closer together," C.J. said, "but her water's not broken."

Alex nodded.

"That's good," she said, "Because it looks like it might be left to us."

Both C.J. and Fran looked up at her.

"Oh I plan to help," Alex said, "I helped with a delivery once. Nature does most of the work unless there are complications."

"Then we'd better hope that things go smoothly," C.J. said, "but be ready if they don't."

Gloria walked up to them, cautiously.

"Is she going to have her baby here?"

C.J. looked up and nodded.

"We could use your help actually," she said, "If you could look around and find some clean towels or blankets."

Gloria's eyes widened.

"In a bank," she said, "fat chance."

C.J. smiled at the woman while gritting her teeth.

"You never know until you look," she said, "Maybe there's some gift towels lying around from the last office party."

Gloria looked skeptical but finally started looking around.

C.J. got up for a moment and then left the office where she encountered Bruiser.

"Hey, you busy," she said.

He glared at her and started raising his gun.

She put up her hands.

"I mean, we need some clean towels, sheets or blankets," she said, "One of your hostages in here is going to give birth."

Bruiser's face paled and he twitched, causing him to lower his gun.

"Can't you stop it?"

She folded her arms.

"It doesn't work that way," she said, "Didn't they ever teach you guys sex ed?"

"Well yeah," Bruiser said, "but only how babies were made, not how to deliver them."

"The woman in there is already in labor and it's only a matter of time until she gives birth right in the middle of your bank robbery," C.J. said.

"What do you expect me to do," Bruiser said.

"I'd like it if you could find some clean towels or sheets or anything like that and bring it to the office," she said.

His face didn't regain its color but Bruiser did nod weakly and headed off looking for Duke again. C.J. and Alex watched him go.

"I hope he doesn't anger Duke too much," Alex said, "He can be very volatile."

"He can get upset, but that's not going to stop childbirth," C.J. said, "I'm going to look in some of these cabinets and drawers out here to see if I can find anything."

"Any piece of cloth that's clean should do," Alex said, joining her.

* * *

Matt and Dan turned a corner with Brody just a footstep behind them.

Jacob turned around to face them.

"We're nearly there," he said.

Several shapes came up from behind them and Matt and his friends took a step backward.

"Who's that," Matt said

"Maybe we should be asking what," Brody said, turning on his flashlight.

He shone it in the passageway ahead of them and two figures threw up their hands over their faces.

"Hey, it's just us," a man's voice sounded.

"Who's 'us', "Matt asked.

"We're Sydney and Gage, two Texas Rangers working with Walker," she said, "He sent us down here."

"Have you found anything," Matt said.

"We went around in circles for a while, but we think we're close," Sydney said, "at least that's what the guide says."

Gage pointed his finger.

"What are you doing down here," he said, "Who authorized you?"

"We're down here looking for the same tunnels," Dan explained, "Because we don't want the feds to send a SWAT team into the bank."

"Neither do we," Sydney said, "which is why we're done here…"

"…In this God forsaken….," Gage continued.

"Hey watch what you call it," Earp warned them.

"We're all pretty close now, so we might as well continue," Matt said, "and if we find anything, half of us should break for the top."

Gage agreed.

"Sounds like a plan," Sydney said as they all proceeded forward down the tunnel, nearing its end.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17---Here's the latest chapter of the cross fiction. I hope you like it and thanks for reading and the comments!

* * *

The group of them traveled down what they hoped was the last stretch of steam tunnel that would hopefully lead them to their destination which was the First Star Bank. Gage wiped the sweat off his brow, barely being able to see ahead. Matt reached into a bag and tossed him some water.

"Didn't you bring any with you," he asked.

Gage shook his head sheepishly.

"An oversight," he said, holding up the bottle, "Thanks."

"Do you think there' s really anything at the end of this corridor," Matt asked.

Sydney sighed and took the water bottle from Gage.

"That's what we're hoping," she said, "I'm certainly hoping this wasn't a wasted trip."

Earp looked at her.

"Who could ever believe that this journey was wasted," he said, "You have seen a part of this grand city that few people have."

"Most people probably don't know that these hellacious passages even exist," Gage said, "and to think this morning I was one of them."

Earp frowned.

"You know what they say if you can't stand the heat," he said.

Gage folded his arms.

"I don't think they meant that literally," he said.

Sydney slapped her partner.

"Gage, settle down," she said, "We've got to keep moving forward."

Matt looked at them.

"I'm going," he said, "anyone who wants to join me is more than welcome to come along."

"Come on Gage," Sydney said, "We don't want to get shown up by a group of civilians."

So they continued down the ever darkening, mist-filled tunnel until they reached a dead end and what looked like a sliding door. Rust coated it and some of it had turned a shade of bluish-green during the years.

"Do you think we're at the bank," Sydney said.

Matt looked up.

"Maybe beneath it," he said.

"We won't know until we find out what's behind door number one," Gage said, "Who's game?"

* * *

C.J. carried some clean towels she had found in the bathroom and walked to the office, passing Bruiser.

"What have you got there," he demanded.

"What does it look like," C.J. said, "We've got a woman about to give birth in there."

"No you don't," he insisted.

"Yes, we do," she said, "I told you how many times and sent you to talk to your boss."

Bruiser leaned against the wall.

"Duke's not going to let anyone out of here until he's ready," he said, "Not even a pregnant woman."

C.J. shrugged.

"Then she's having her baby here," she said, "Now get out of my way."

He grabbed her arm.

"Don't tell me what to do," he said.

She just looked at him, without moving.

"Let me go," she said, "I've got things to do."

He still held onto her.

"I told you, if you don't let me go, then you can go and deliver the baby instead," she said.

He thrust her aside, causing her to almost drop her towels.

"Go deliver that baby," Bruiser said, "but it and its mother are staying in the bank."

She nodded and disappeared into the office.

"Here's some towels," she said, tossing them to Fran.

"Okay," Fran said, "Now her pains are getting closer together but still the water's holding."

"You mean it's not broken," C.J. said, "when it breaks that means that delivery is imminent?"

Chris looked at the two of them.

"I hope you both get the chronology of the events right before you touch me," she said.

Fran smiled.

"Ah, we must be in the transition phase because this is when the mother-to-be gets really grumpy and testy," she said.

"Oooh, I wish there was something I could throw at you," Chris said.

"But if you do that and I get knocked us both out, then you're left with someone like Gloria to help you," Fran said.

Chris sighed and looked across the room where Gloria stood, studying a broken nail.

"Good point."

C.J. went to sit next to her friend.

"It's going to be okay, Chris," she said, "Everyone outside is doing everything they can to help us and you've got people inside here to help you."

Chris nodded.

"I know," she said, "and I'm sorry about threatening to throw something at the both of you."

Fran rubbed her shoulder.

"No problem," she said, "Besides, my head's hard enough that it would bounce right off."

Alex walked over.

"Is there anything I can help you with," she asked.

C.J. looked up.

"You said you helped deliver a baby once," she said.

Alex nodded.

"It was a while ago," she said, "but I think I still remember."

"We'll need your help."

"You've got it," Alex said, "Right now, the important thing is to keep her comfortable until it's time and monitor her vital signs."

"Okay," C.J. said, "We can do that."

"Then we need to get some things we'll need when the delivery happens if it should come to that," Alex said.

"Like what," Fran asked, "Boiling water might be a little tough."

Alex smiled.

"You don't need it," she said, "You need things like towels or clothing to wrap the baby in when it's born but not much else."

Fran reached for her shopping bags.

"I think I've got some clothing I brought for the cruise that you can use," she said.

"We've got towels," C.J. said, "Besides I'm not sure that Victoria's Secret style is what she had in mind."

"Hey, it's going to be our first vacation by ourselves since the twins were born," Fran said, defensively.

Missy walked up to where they all sat.

"I've got my daughter's blanket if you would like to use it," she said.

C.J. nodded and Missy went to get it.

"I think we're going to be all right," she said.

* * *

Matt and C.J. walked into the coffee shop, their arms wrapped around each other and looked for their friends. Chris and Dan sat in a corner booth holding menus. They walked over to join them.

"How'd you find this place," C.J. asked, picking up a menu.

"We usually go to Sal's Diner but the electricity is still out on that section of town so this was our back up plan," Chris explained.

C.J. looked around.

"Nice atmosphere," she said, noticing the booths beginning to fill up as people crawled out of where they had taken shelter turning the hurricane.

"So you two weathered it at the office," Chris said, "How awful."

Matt and C.J. looked at each other.

"We broke into the guest suite that Murray insisting on adding on and we're kind of glad he did now," Matt said.

C.J. agreed.

"We had plenty of food, good wine and the place is really nice like a five-star hotel."

"Without room service," Matt said,

She winked at him.

"I don't think we needed it," she said.

"No we didn't," he agreed.

"I bet it was great," Chris said, "Murray took me up there to take a look at it. Pretty impressive but a lot like the penthouse suite in L.A."

C.J. laughed.

"Yeah we noticed that," she said, "but it gave us time…to catch up."

Chris narrowed her eyes.

"What's that on your finger," she said, grabbing C.J.'s left hand, "Oh my god, you didn't…"

C.J. smiled.

"He did and I said yes," she said, "He had planned to surprise me at that so-called business meeting but we both ended up at the office building when Gracie struck."

"So when are you getting married," Dan asked.

"As soon as we can find a minister," Matt said.

C.J. lightly slapped his arm.

"In December," she said, "with friends and family around us."

"Cool," Chris said, "A holiday ceremony."

C.J. paused, and then smiled again.

"And I'd like you to be my matron of honor, Chris."

Chris' eyes sparkled.

"Hell yes, I'll do it," she said, "The baby will be born by then and hopefully, I'll be able to fit in a dress."

"Chris, you always look lovely," C.J. said, "You're the best looking pregnant woman I know."

"I don't feel like it right now," she said, "We had to sleep in the summer cottage on high land and it was quite cramped in there with two other families."

"But the food was great," Dan said, "We had a barbecue after the winds died down."

"That sounds great," C.J. said, "So how'd your home fare?"

Chris made a face.

"It's still standing but quite a few trees went down," she said, "Some of the neighbors came back today and couldn't get in their homes for all the trees."

"But we're lucky," Dan said, "The main thrust of Gracie just missed Houston."

"We noticed," Matt said, "We took a brief look outside on the helipad when the eye passed over. I'd never seen the city so dark and quiet."

"Well, it will be back up and running soon so that all this will be a distant memory," Dan said.

Matt and C.J. looked at him, knowing that between the two of them, Hurricane Gracie would never fade away.

* * *

"Hey Chris," C.J. said, "There's a bright side to all this."

Chris leaned up on her elbows.

"Like what?"

"If you have your baby now, you'll be able to get in that dress you wanted to wear at the wedding."

Chris smiled.

"Yeah I did say that," she said, "I think it's going to be a wonderful day. If anyone deserves such happiness, it's you two."

"Well, he wanted to get married sooner," C.J. said.

Chris nodded.

"Oh yeah, I remember, it was as soon as he could track down a minister," she said.

"Speaking about fitting into dresses…."

"Hey, that's what tailors are for," Chris said, "You think you're the first bride that's ever going to be dressing for two?"

C.J. looked at her hands.

"No, and hopefully the morning sickness will be done by then," she said.

"Oh it will be long gone," Chris said, "the second trimester's definitely the best."

"That's good to know," C.J. said.

"Of course, then that's just to gear you up for the third one which isn't the best…"

"Oh I felt like I was going to pop out of every dress I tried to wear," Fran said, joining in.

C.J. looked a little nervous.

"That's because you had twins, right?"

"Hey, I think it depends on a lot of things," Fran said, "But for those of us who get huge, remember it doesn't last forever."

"That's reassuring," Chris said.

"And after you hold your baby in your arms," Fran said, "You'll forget about all this."

* * *

Walker sat by the phone waiting to hear from his Rangers who were wandering around the steam tunnels looking for an entrance into the bank. Jonathan had conferred with Denton who finally agreed to allow them some extra time to try this strategy. But if it didn't work, Denton warned, they would send in the SWAT team.

And that's when Walker knew that it had to work. Sending in the SWAT team could be a death sentence for one or more of the robbers, but it could be for an untold number of hostages as well. So he hoped that the efforts of Gage, Sydney and the others would yield some positive results.

"So have you heard from them," Jonathan asked.

"Not yet," Walker said simply.

"They should have reached the area of the bank right now," Jonathan said, "but it remains to be seen if it will even be accessible."

Walker nodded.

"That could be true," he said, "Everything down there must be ancient. If they need any equipment, could we send it down?"

"Might be too noisy," Jonathan said, "We could very well lose the element of surprise we're looking so hard for."

"How long do you think it's going to take those men in that bank to figure out that you guys are stringing them along," Walker asked.

"Probably less time than we'd like," he said, "but we have to cause as much of a delay as possible, by slowing this whole situation down. Surely you understand that."

Walker nodded.

"We've slowed it down about as much as we can," he said, "I don't know what else we can do. But we need to figure out how to buy even more time for Gage, Sydney and the others down there."

Jonathan picked up his coffee cup.

"We could string them along by appearing to give to some of the smaller demands."

Walker grimaced.

"There weren't any that were that small," he said, "I thought we'd save that to get the pregnant woman out of there. She's in labor I last heard."

Jonathan sighed.

"Our bad luck," he said, "That will only make sending in a SWAT team that more precarious than it is already."

"That's why it's all the more important to come up with another plan," Walker said, "I'm with Matt Houston on that one."

"Hopefully he's doing good down there and not creating a more dangerous situation," Jonathan said,

"He looks like a guy who can take care of himself and anyone else," Walker said, "He showed up you guys on a major operation, something no amateur could do."

Jonathan nodded.

"I admit that we never would have broken up that ring without him," he said, "but he made our lives difficult."

"From what I heard, your witness nearly was taken twice during the first 24 hours in your protective custody," Walker said, "Those aren't betting odds for a man who's fiancée is in the middle of it."

"So you would do the same thing he did in his shoes?"

Walker nodded.

"Probably, only not with as much finesse."

* * *

Matt and Gage pushed on the door but it wouldn't budge. So both Brody and Sydney chipped in from each side.

"I think it's pretty much melded in," Brody said, "How long has it been down here?"

Earp looked at them.

"Oh about 100 years," he said, "give or take a few decades."

"Well that's good, right," Sydney said, "Better odds that it does go to the bank."

"Not so great if we can't remove it without a blow torch," Gage said, "I'll backtrack to the last manhole and see what equipment we can get that's not noisy."

"That's a tall order," Sydney said, "and are you sure you're strong enough?"

He glared at her.

"I can handle anything that you can," he said, "so you sit tight here and I'll go upside and make the call."

He started walking away, then turned his head.

"The exit's in the next 100 yards to the right of this tunnel?"

Earp shook his head at him.

"If you go that way, you'll be back to walking in circles," he said, "it's to the left."

Gage nodded and the rest of them hoped he heard the instructions right and would make it to the street level without getting lost.

Matt looked around for anything to give them leverage while trying to push the ancient door open.

"Are their any poles or broken pipes lying around here," he asked.

Earp and Jacob looked at each other.

"I think I saw one a while back," Jacob said.

"Go find it," Matt said, "I think if it's the right size and length, we might be able to find another way to get that door open."

Sydney nodded.

"Okay I get it," she said, "use it as a lever, right?"

"That's the plan," Matt said, as he watched both Jacob and Earl haul a large pipe towards them.

"I'll help you hold it," Brody said.

Dan nodded.

"I'll take the end," he said.

The three men began to brace the pole against the door, but would it work?


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18---Here's the latest chapter of my cross-over fiction. I hope you like it and thanks for the comments.

* * *

They pushed hard against the pole to gain enough leverage to open the door. Sweat poured from their faces and not just from the humidity which surrounded them. They tried several carefully coordinated moves at a time and then broke for a brief rest.

Gage swung around during one break and leaned against the wall, his sides heaving. Sydney looked over at him with concern in her eyes.

"Are you okay champ," she said, looking him over.

"I'm doing as well as the rest of you," he said, "and Sydney stop pretending to be concerned just so you can check my body out."

Her cheeks flushed.

"You arrogant jerk," she spit out, "Here I am worried that you're going to collapse from heat stroke and you're questioning my motives with lewd innuendo."

Matt gestured over to the two Rangers.

"Do you think they're always like this," he asked.

"They've been like this the whole way," Earp grumbled, wiping his brow.

Brody studied them.

"They're no worse than we are on a good day," he said.

"Let's get going," Matt said, picking up the pole.

Sydney nodded.

They tried again and this time it budged several inches. After hearing the grinding noise and seeing a newly formed gap, they stopped and looked at the wall in disbelief.

Earp grew irritated with the lot of the interlopers.

"Why are you acting so surprised," he said, "I told you in the old days, this building was a smuggling point for liquor and all kinds of things."

Sydney turned to Gage and Dan.

"Why don't you two go up topside and phone this in to Walker," she said.

Gage nodded, not needing any excuse to get out of the oppressive conditions.

"What about you," he said.

Sydney rubbed her eyes.

"We'll keep working on it down here," she said, "But we need more tools and some reinforcements."

Gage started to leave with Dan.

"Oh…"

Gage stopped at the sound of her voice.

"Bring us back more water too."

He nodded and they backtracked with Jacob to the closest access point which would bring them back to the streetside. Jacob calculated that they would probably wind up about a block away.

"We'll have to watch and listen carefully getting out," he said, "It's located in the middle of an intersection."

"Great, just great," Gage said.

"So what's the story with Gage," Matt asked Sydney.

She rubbed her hands.

"He's great in a fight and he'll always have your back no matter what," she said, "It's just those moments in between combat and arrest that he doesn't feel so much in his element."

Matt nodded.

"I see."

"I'll tell you one thing when we do get inside that bank, he's going to definitely be the guy you want on your side."

"We're going to need to be ready," Brody said.

Sydney turned to face him.

"I don't think you understand," she said, "Once Gage contacts Walker, there's going to be a bunch of feds down here calling the shots."

"That's fine as long as they don't get my fiancée and the other hostages killed," Matt said, "but I heard too much talk about acceptable losses and collateral damage to feel real comfortable about their plan."

"They're going to do everything they can to keep the hostages safe," Sydney said.

He turned around and faced her.

"Did we just sit in the same meetings with those feds who said that a couple hostages or so might get killed when they send in the SWAT team," he said.

"That's the worst case scenario," she said.

"In my line of work, I've found that if you allow for the worst, that's what usually happens because your focus isn't where it needs to be," Matt said.

"Mine too," Brody said, "when I was an LAPD cop."

"What about you Texas Ranger," Matt challenged.

Sydney couldn't deny that what the other men said was true and she lacked the energy at that point to even try. She just stood looking down the corridor waiting for Gage to return with an announcement that the cavalry was on its way.

* * *

Walker picked up the phone and signed in relief when he realized Gage had called him.

"So what's up," he said.

"You mean what's down, don't you?"

Walker smiled, pleased to know that his Ranger's sense of humor remained intact.

"Okay, what did you find down there?"

Gage hesitated.

"A possible entrance somewhere," he said, "maybe even into the bank."

"How do you know?"

"We don't know much as of yet, but through some brute force we're able to get a section of the wall to slide forward a few inches and inward about one."

"So it might be one of those old secret entrances that we've all heard about over the years," Walker said.

"Maybe," Gage said, "No way to be certain of that yet."

"So maybe we should wait until we tell the feds," Walker said.

"Even if we get it open, I'm not sure it's going to fit any strategic plan to slip any SWAT officers in there. The entrance could be too narrow," he said.

Walker sighed.

"All right, I'll hold back on it but I'll get some equipment and bring it down to help you."

"Thanks boss," he said, "and bring us plenty of water. We're all a bit dehydrated down there."

"Okay, I'll have that sent down," Walker said, "and try to join you as soon as I can."

* * *

Chris' pains progressed but C.J. and Alex sat with her and waited.

"I wish I hadn't gone to the bank today," Chris said.

"We decided to go," C.J. said, "of course, maybe if we did go a few minutes earlier."

Chris sighed.

"It probably wouldn't matter," she said, "if it's your fate in life to be held hostage by bank robbers, maybe it's impossible to avoid."

"I didn't know you were such a fatalist," C.J. said, "I understand though. When I was wandering down the hallways of Houston Enterprises just before Gracie hit, I thought it was just meant to be that I was going to go down alone in that storm with the building."

Chris smiled.

"We'll it all worked out for you," she said, "In fact you got an engagement out of a Category 4 hurricane, not a bad deal."

"That wasn't the only thing," C.J. said, rubbing her stomach.

Chris looked at her.

"Oh."

"My point is, that even in situations that appear to be difficult or dangerous," C.J. said, "there's always hope for a positive outcome, even a life-changing one."

Chris nodded.

"I just want my baby to be born safely and for Dan and I to take him or her home and raise our child," she said, "I've always wanted children of my own and I wasn't sure that was going to happen in my life. I wasn't sure I was going to meet a great guy like Dan."

C.J. smiled and reached for her hand.

"Well you did all that," she said, "and this will work out too."

"How," Chris asked.

"We've got to have faith that there are people out there who will help us," C.J. said, "and then we've got to help ourselves."

"How can you be so sure," Chris asked.

C.J. ran her hands through her hair.

"Because I have a life that is waiting out there too," she said, "I have a fiancé I love more than anything, we're getting our new house ready on our new ranch and I've got some news to give him that I hope is going to make him happy."

"Oh he'll be thrilled," Chris said, "I know he's been waiting for this day for a long time too."

C.J. nodded.

"We both have," she said, "Well, we had planned it after we got married to start a family but it really doesn't matter to either one of us that we've begun a bit early."

"That'll be so exciting for both of you," Alex said, "There's nothing more meaningful than having a child. We've been thinking about having another one."

"Why don't you," Chris said.

"Walker's concerned about the danger which is part and parcel of both of our jobs," Alex said, "Angela's already been the target of two kidnapping attempts."

"How awful," Chris and C.J. said.

"It's very difficult and painful," Alex said, "but having Angela's been the most rewarding experience of my life."

"I can imagine," C.J. said, "I think Chris here will make a great mother."

"You've had experience raising children," Alex asked.

Chris chuckled.

"I've got a teenager who's lived on and off with me," she said, "I've tried my best with her but it took a couple years for us to turn the corner."

"I can imagine what it's going to be like raising teenagers," Alex said, "and it's probably coming sooner rather than later. Kids grow up so fast."

"Oh…"Chris said as another pain hit her.

"Just breathe on through it," Alex said, "You'll do just fine."

C.J. looked for Fran and saw her talking to Missy who was trying to keep Amanda from becoming fussy. Fran made faces in front of the little girl and she seemed to find some of them funny.

"Fran's doing a great job with that little girl," C.J. said, "Of course, she's got twins."

Alex smiled.

"Keeps her quite busy," she said.

"Yeah, she and Carlos were going to go on a romantic getaway next week, just the two of them," C.J. said.

"She'll still get that chance when we get out of here," Alex said, "And I know we will. I trust my husband."

"She was out shopping for clothes before we met for lunch," C.J. said, "Of course, this weekend she and Chris were going to finish up the nursery."

"Well, there's plenty of time to do that still even if she has her baby," Alex said, "and ways to improvise on sleeping arrangements."

C.J. kept holding Chris' hand and watching her.

"Well, Houston and I had planned to go to a conference this weekend, hit a few classes and then spend some time together," she said, "but I think we're just going to hang around this weekend closer to home."

"What and miss some alone time away from the rest of us especially now," Chris said, looking at her like she was crazy.

"We thought we'd help you get settled in with the baby when the hospital releases you," C.J. said, "and maybe help you with the nursery."

Tears brimmed in Chris' eyes.

"That's so nice of you," she said, "I just feel so overwhelmed right now."

"I know you do," C.J. said, "I tried to get these thugs to let you go but it hasn't worked yet."

"They're not interested in releasing any of their hostages," Alex said.

"Maybe it's time to up the ante," C.J. said.

Chris hesitated.

"You don't have to worry about that," she said, "I'm fine and the baby will be fine. I don't want you putting yourself at risk."

C.J. sighed.

"You've got to get out of here and there might be a way we haven't thought of yet," C.J. said, "Something to bargain with these men."

Chris widened her eyes and frowned.

"Oh no….."

Alex raised her brows.

"What are you thinking C.J.," she said.

"I don't know yet," she said, "but there must be a way to get those men to change their mind about releasing Chris."

* * *

"How long as Gage been gone," Brody asked.

Matt shrugged. They had tried several more times to move the stubborn door but it only budged several more inches.

"None of us are skinny enough to get through that," Matt said, "but if we could just get it to budge a little bit more…"

"I think I could slip through then," Sydney said.

"But forget these SWAT guys getting through," Brody said, "Most of them looked like linebackers when they were in formation out there a while ago."

"I think I can slip on through with another couple inches," Matt said, "and in the military, I did these types of operations all the time."

"Yeah, but you're not going in by yourself," Brody said.

Matt turned around to look at his partner.

"Brody, no offense buddy but you've been hitting those Hoagies a bit hard," he said.

"I can take a hint," Brody said, "You didn't have to put it in such harsh terms."

Matt smiled.

"I'll need you to be my support out here," he said, "but I think it's better if Sydney and I try it."

Brody frowned.

"Do you think Walker's really going to go for that," he said.

"Walker's up in the mobile unit stuck talking to the federal bureaucrats," Matt said, "and all they want to do is send the SWAT team in to maybe save a few hostages on the way to killing their escaped prisoners."

"C.J.'s tough," Brody said, "She'll make it through this."

"She must have a lot on her mind right now," Matt said.

"Hopefully, it's keeping her focused," Brody said, "but that's never been one of her problems."

"I know," Matt said, "She usually keeps me focused when I most need it."

Brody put his hand on Matt's shoulder.

"She loves you," he said, "That's why I know that she'll be all right. She's not going to let anyone stand in her way to get back to you."

Matt reached over and picked up the pole.

"Come on," he said, "Let's try this again."

* * *

C.J. sat at the restaurant enjoying her margarita on a Friday night after a week spent running around working cases as a public defender. She wondered if the day would come when she wouldn't feel like she was pretending to be an attorney. She saw a blond woman approached and smiled at her. Alex looked a damn sight better than she had two weeks earlier.

"The bruises are gone," C.J. noted as Alex sat across from her.

Alex smiled.

"It's been a couple weeks and I think I'm rid of him," she said, "I'm so glad I got out so quickly."

C.J. nodded.

"You're lucky," she said, "Not all women leave after they've been hit the first time. Some never leave."

Alex ordered a margarita and then began nibbling on the chips.

"Have you ever been hit by a guy," she asked.

C.J. looked at her thoughtfully.

"My friend Julia was in an abusive relationship in high school," she said, "I saw what she went through and learned the warning signs and if I see them in any guy no matter how good he looks, I won't continue a relationship with him."

Alex rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"Did she ever get away from him," she asked.

C.J. nodded.

"I and some friends helped her one night," C.J. said, "I tried to help her by myself and managed to get us both locked in an upstairs bedroom with her boyfriend making threats outside of it. We were able to call Houston and one of his friends, Scott to get us out."

Alex shook her head.

"That must have been scary."

C.J. shrugged.

"Houston took care of him and his friends," she said, "He was at the military academy and learned a lot of defensive fighting skills and her boyfriend and his friends were cowards."

"So it all ended well," Alex said.

"Julia didn't press charges but she never saw him again and she wound up with Scott, who in his own way turned out to be just as much of a loser."

"Oh," Alex said, "What happened?"

C.J.'s face darkened and she grew quiet. Alex wondered if she would receive any response at all.

"He got mixed up with some…bad people," she said, "who were trying to open up a drug ring in Boston."

Alex looked dismayed.

"Poor Julia," she said, "You see that's what scares me most, I think, is having been with an abusive man, will I keep seeking them out?"

C.J. grew pensive, sipping her drink.

"You seem really smart and you've got everything together," she said, "I think when you meet someone you've always got to be cautious but open too and that can be difficult."

Alex nodded.

"I know," she said, "I wonder if I'll ever find a guy who I can trust like that."

"I think you will," C.J. said.

"What about you," Alex asked.

"Hey, I'm just getting out of a relationship with another guy who can't handle the fact that my best friend's a guy," she said, "I'm hoping someday I'll find someone who can just deal."

* * *

C.J. looked up at Chris and knew what she had to do. Alex read what was in her eyes and didn't like what she saw there.

* * *

Matt waited longer for Gage and Dan to return but Gage had received another phone call from Walker who had informed him that the federal agents were growing impatient and had decided to tell the robbers that there would be delays on receiving some of their demands. Walker's face fell when he received that notice but he knew they couldn't put off the inevitable. These robbers weren't stupid. Soon enough they would figure that the most likely way they were coming out of that bank were in handcuffs or on a stretcher. And when they realized that, all hell could break loose.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19---the latest chapter of my cross-fiction. I hope you like it, and thanks for reading and comments! Sorry it took so long to update.

* * *

The hostages who sat in the office saw Bruiser leave them to join his cohorts at the front of the bank and knew the news wouldn't be good. When he came back and decided to drag C.J. up with him, they figured the situation had gotten worse. But Duke sat in the front office on one of the desks listening on the phone to the federal agents explaining to him that if they didn't start getting their demands met, people were going to start dying.

Starting with the pretty brunette.

Walker looked through the binoculars as Duke and Harley held the young woman between them. She was the same one who had been there when Brody had been sent in to deliver pizza hours earlier. He recognized her as the lawyer that Alex had faced against in court several times including just that day. He sighed and looked over at the feds. One of them, Jonathan's face had gone ashen.

"You know that's your ex-girlfriend they're holding there," Walker said.

Jonathan nodded, numbly.

"I can't let it influence my actions or my decisions," he said.

"But it's going to," Walker added, walking away, "whether you want it to or not."

"What about you with your wife being in there with those thugs," Jonathan asked.

Walker sighed.

"I know it's going to affect the way I do my work," he said, "There's no helping that. I just have to make sure my feelings don't get in the way of my job and cause any harm for any of the hostages inside. And you have to do the same thing."

Denton walked into the room and sat to join them.

"I can see that we didn't really get through to our robbers inside there," he said, "It might be time to think about bringing in the artillery."

Walker turned on him.

"I've got Rangers down here trying to find a way in from the steam tunnels," he said, "and one of them just called and said they found a possible entrance into the bank."

"Can we get our men down there?"

Walker hesitated.

"The entrance doesn't appear to be a very big one," he said, "It's been frozen shut for decades and they're still working on it."

Denton sighed.

"Even if you can get anyone in there," he said, "We still have to find out exactly where it goes."

"True," Walker said, "But it's a start and if it's useful to us, it could spare a lot of lives that could be lost in a SWAT operation."

Denton pursed his lips.

"Now I know that the SWAT operation carries its own set of risks…"

Walker held up his hand.

"There's a woman in there who's about to give birth," he said, "It's doubtful that she or her child could survive a SWAT raid."

Denton's mouth formed a grim line.

"I don't know what to say," he said, "but it's not like we have that many options."

"What about snipers," Jonathan said.

Denton shook his head.

"They're being too careful by keeping away from any of the windows," he said, "And as we saw, when they feel vulnerable, they shield themselves with hostages."

Denton sighed and got back on his phone with Duke to try to buy them some more time.

"You aint got much more of that," Duke spit out, "and I've got a hostage here I'm itching to kill to prove that."

C.J.'s eyes looked around in fear but she kept from moving, in order not to agitate him any further.

Denton sighed and then made a decision. He lied.

"Okay, Duke if you just give us two more hours, we'll see if we can speed up the delivery here, okay?"

"You'd better not be pulling my leg G-man," Duke warned.

"Man, you're holding all the cards here," Denton said, "We're just trying to get you what you want."

"I've heard you cops lie to me before," Duke said, wearily, "But I'm willing to give you one last chance. You do it to me again, I'm killing one of the hostages for each lie that comes out of your mouth."

Denton sighed. Clearly, the ring leader of this band of robbers was becoming more unstable as each hour passed. He wondered about the rest of them. They might all fall apart if their leader began coming apart at the seams and then it would be impossible to predict what would happen to innocent people trapped in the middle of a meltdown.

Walker walked up to them.

"I don't like the way this situation is deteriorating," he said, "but throwing more firepower at it might just make it worse."

"It probably will," Jonathan agreed, "but we need to know a hell of a lot more about how those steam tunnels are going to help us before we change strategies."

Walker agreed.

* * *

Matt didn't know what was taking place above ground but he knew that as each hour passed, the situation would only become more precarious. The lives of those hostages including C.J. more in the balance. But his efforts to widen the opening in the ancient siding had proven to be more difficult than they had anticipated. Still, he and Brody pushed hard for each inch of progress they received in return.

"I don't know if any of us are going to be able to fit in there," Sydney said.

"I think if we can budge it a couple more inches, it might work," Matt said.

"If we had more people," she continued.

"We don't have a whole lot of time," Matt said, "The longer this siege continues, the more unstable the situation is going to be and that makes it more dangerous for the hostages."

Sydney put her hands on her hips.

"I know what happens during bank robberies. I've handled a few of them myself," she said, "How many have you done?"

He paused.

"I didn't think so, Mr. Houston," she said, "So maybe you should start listening to those of us who have that experience.

"Well, actually I've been involved in quite a few bank robberies myself including as a negotiator," Brody said, "L.A. after all is the bank robbery capital of the world and I agree with Matt."

"Well then you surely also know that these situations can't be rushed," Sydney countered.

Brody nodded.

"That's true in most cases," he said, "but we have a pregnant woman in labor in that bank who's about to give birth. Do we really want that to happen in the middle of a shootout or an assault by a SWAT team?"

Matt watched the former law enforcement officer and the current one look at him with dismay on their faces.

"All this experience that you law enforcement folks have doesn't seem to be resolving this situation," he said.

"It takes time, Mr. Houston," Sydney said.

"Well that's one thing we don't got," he said, "Brody just explained why and I think those bank robbers are becoming more unstable not less as time goes by."

With that, Matt and Brody picked up their pole and started pushing against the siding.

* * *

C.J. sat next to Chris who winced as her labor pains became closer. Fran came by to sit with her as well. Alex helped Chris time her labor pains, which were coming closer together and with more intensity than just less than an hour earlier.

C.J. got up.

"That's it," she said, "I'm going to try to get the robbers to let her go."

Alex stood in her path.

"You tried that," she said, "It hasn't worked. You're just going to put yourself in more danger."

C.J.'s jaw set.

"Chris is my friend and I'm not going to let them force her to give birth to a baby she and Dan have waited a lifetime for inside a bank."

Fran sighed.

"What are you going to do," she asked.

"I'll be right back," C.J. said, leaving the room.

* * *

She ran smack into Bruiser and told him to take her to Duke. Bruiser just looked at her like she'd gone crazy but finally nodded and grabbed her by the arm as they walked to the other end of the bank. Duke looked up as he saw the both of him.

"What's she doing here," he asked, gesturing to C.J.

"She wants to ask you to let the pregnant woman go," Bruiser said.

Duke turned to look at C.J. sizing her up. She met his glance without blinking, and tried to smile.

"I told you earlier that no hostages will be released until our demands are met," Duke said, "and the cops are stalling us so you're more likely to see a dead hostage within one hour than any of them getting released."

She walked up closer to him, close enough to brush his shoulder.

"Please, just let her go," C.J. said, "She's in labor and you wouldn't want to have a baby born here in the middle of all this. It just doesn't seem right."

He gave that some thought.

"Does any of this seem right," Duke said, waving an arm around the bank, "Hell, we had the $3 million out and we were ready to bail until that bitch pushed the panic button."

C.J. sighed and then closed her eyes to ground herself in what she had to do. Her hands remained clenched at her sides.

"What do you want," she said, "Just tell me and I'll do it or give it to you if you'll let the woman go."

He sized her up in a way that froze her heart, then reached his hand up and stroked her face. She tried not to flinch as he touched her skin. His breath stank as he pulled her by her hair next to him, but she ignored it and tried to look like she enjoyed it.

"That's a mighty nice offer you're making," he said, "I'll give it some thought."

She hardly dared hope. And then the fear filled her of what that meant, catching her in the midst of two powerful feelings pulling at her. But what else could she do? If Chris didn't get to a hospital to have her baby, it could die and so could she. C.J. couldn't even imagine anything happening to one of her closest friends.

"So you'll think about letting her go?"

He just stared back at her and sneered, pushing her away.

"You don't have anything I want right now," he said, "so if you think you've got anything to trade for that woman's release, you'd better stop that right now and go on back to the others."

C.J. backed away, towards the door.

"Of course if I change my mind…"

But she was already gone.

* * *

Matt stood in the tunnel, sizing up the gap in the siding. Now it was large enough for someone to crawl through but it would be a tight fit. Sydney tried to shine a flashlight into it, but couldn't see much except space. The flashlight didn't offer many clues about where the entrance was in relation to the bank. They wouldn't know that unless someone went inside.

Matt had already decided that he would be one of the people who would do that. Brody saw that look on him and knew better than to try to talk him out of it. Sydney stood, waiting for Gage and Dan to return from topside, wondering what was taking them so long. Finally, Earp pointed into the mist and Sydney could just make out her partner approaching her.

"Gage," she said, walking up to him, "What took you so long?"

He tossed her a water bottle.

"I phoned Walker," he said, "I told him we found a possible breach in the tunnel but we didn't know where it went.

"Where's Dan," Matt asked.

"He's going back to speak with Walker," Gage said, "Bad scene with his poor wife being caught in the middle of all that, pregnant and all."

Matt looked away for a moment, running his hand through his hair.

Sydney gulped down her water, then she and Gage walked over to the siding.

"How much progress have you made here," he asked.

"Some, enough to get someone in," she said, "But we don't know where it goes. For all we know, we could wind up bumping into the robbers."

"Do you think a tactical team could be sent in," Gage said.

Matt shook his head.

"We don't know where that passage leads," he said, "We have to explore it first."

"Then we'll do that," Gage said, "'we're the trained professionals."

"In law enforcement," Matt said, "but what about getting into a building like this sight unseen and then casing it down?"

Gage folded his arms.

"And you have that training," he said, in disbelief.

Matt nodded.

"Military intelligence," he said, "I could slip right in and out of her and they'd never know it. We did this type of operations all the time, more than most law enforcement officers."

"But you're a civilian," Gage pointed out.

"Look why don't we draw straws," Brody said, "That makes as much sense as this argument."

Suddenly, some men wearing SWAT gear came down the tunnel.

"You Gage and Sydney," one of them asked.

They both nodded.

"You're both wanted on top for a strategic meeting," he said, "The feds have asked both local PD and the Rangers to participate in a possible assault strike."

Matt just looked at them.

"Oh my God," he said, "There are other alternatives."

Sydney looked at Matt.

"We'll try to explain that at the meeting," she said, "Don't worry, I know we're all on the same side."

"Are we," Matt asked, "You're about to participate in an operation that could get everyone in there killed."

"We won't let that happen," Sydney said as she and Gage prepared to leave, "And what about you two?"

Matt looked at them wearily.

"We know our way back up," he said.

The Rangers nodded and took off with the SWAT officers.

Brody looked at Matt.

"We're not going back up with them are we?"

Matt raised a brow.

"Where'd you get that idea?"

"From working with you long enough I guess," Brody said, "You know, Hoyt really warned me about you."

Matt sighed.

"We'll believe it," he said, "Come on, grab the other end of that pole and we'll get back to work."

* * *

C.J. opened the door to the office and looked down at Chris who was trying to weather a labor pain with Fran at her side. Alex walked to meet C.J. at the door.

"You're back," she said.

"You seemed surprised," C.J. said, "How is she?"

"She's getting closer," Alex said, "so like it or not, we're going to have to get ready to deliver her baby here."

C.J. nodded, her eyes tearing. Alex looked at her.

"Look, I know that you really tried to help your friend by getting her out of here," she said.

"I failed, "C.J. said, simply.

Alex gestured to Chris.

"Well come on," she said, "I'm going to need your help. Chris is going to need you."

They both walked over to where Chris laid and C.J. sat down to hold her hand.

"I'm right here Chris and I'm not going anywhere," she said.

Chris looked up at them and tried to smile.

"It's good to have two of my best friends here," she said, "even if I'm not where I want to be."

As her words trailed off, Chris started to tear up and C.J. rubbed her back and told her everything would be okay.

"Alex here has delivered a baby before," C.J. said, "So do what she tells you, okay?"

Chris nodded.

"Are you comfortable Chris," Alex said, "I could get you some chair cushions."

Chris looked like she was going to nod but then her face twisted oddly.

"What's wrong," C.J. asked.

"I think my water just broke."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20---Here's the latest chapter of this cross-fiction. I hope you enjoy reading it and thank you for reading and for the feedback.

* * *

Both Alex and C.J. looked down at Chris, who just looked like she had been struck by lightning.

"Are you sure," C.J. asked.

Chris looked down.

"Yeah, I think that's what the flood down my legs just was," she said, then winced, "and the pains are getting worse."

Alex looked at Chris.

"I'm going to have to check to see how things are going," she said, "Is that okay with you?"

Chris nodded.

"It's not like I have a choice," she said, "The baby's coming here. Not at a hospital, not on the way to the hospital but right in the middle of a bank robbery."

C.J. held her hand.

"It's going to be okay," she said, "We're going to help you through this."

Chris thought of a million ways to protest but realized now wasn't the time to do it, so she just nodded her head.

"Okay, I'm ready to go."

Alex lifted her dress up and took a look.

"Your pains are getting closer?"

Chris nodded before being hit with another one. She started her breathing exercises.

"She's pretty dilated, I would imagine," Alex told C.J., "This baby could be coming out pretty quickly."

Chris gritted her teeth.

"It sure feels like something's trying to come out," she said.

"That's good," Alex said, "Because in a little while I'm going to ask you to push. Not right now, I'll tell you when it's time."

She left Chris for a moment and turned to C.J.

"Okay, she's going to have to push only when we tell her to do and then in between, she's going to have to get her rest and do her Lamaze breathing."

"I'll help her with that," C.J. said, "God I can't believe this is happening."

"Well it's happening and we've got to be ready to help Chris," Alex said.

C.J. nodded and sat next to her friend.

* * *

Matt and Brody pushed the pole harder against the wall and it pushed inward so they had enough space to slide through.

"I'm going in to take a look around," Matt said, "Do you have a flashlight?"

Brody looked at him.

"We're not waiting for the others?"

"They're up in a meeting talking about a SWAT operation that could get all those hostages killed," Matt said.

"They're just trying to get them out of there," Brody said.

"No, I think they're focusing on the robbers that escaped out of one of their federal institutions," Matt said, "I'm wondering if the hostages are secondary."

Brody lit his flashlight and shone it in the darkened space.

"We don't even know what's in there," he said, "You could take one step down there and fall about 20 feet."

"I'll be careful," Matt said, "I'm not going to let anything happen to any of those people."

"What if the robbers find you first," Brody asked.

"I think they're located at the front of the bank building," Matt said, scratching his hair, "and I'm thinking that wherever this passage goes, it's probably in the back or maybe in an older section of the building that's no longer in use."

Brody nodded.

"That's certainly possible," he said, "but you still are taking a huge risk here."

"I know and I plan to be careful," he said.

Suddenly, Sydney popped up from behind them.

"Careful doing what?"

* * *

Gage sat and listened to the entire tactical meeting being held at the mobile command center even after Sydney had left. She told him she was heading back to the tunnel and for him to follow her there when the meeting was over. He groaned in response being stuck with Walker who looked just as unhappy to be there as he was to listen to how the SWAT operation was going to unfold.

Dan had sat next to Gage and listened for a few moments.

"This is going to get my wife and other hostages killed," he said, "I've been in HPD for years and we never operated like this. They go in like gangbusters, those robbers are going to get cornered and the only question will be whether it's our bullets that kill innocent people or theirs."

Gage sighed.

"I agree," he said, "but they are in charge not us. And this Jonathan is the only one who seems to be talking some sense."

"But he's the junior agent," Dan said, "I know the man. He's as smart and methodical as they come but he's outranked here."

"I wonder how they're going to explain all those dead bodies to their families," Gage said, with a sigh.

Walker turned around and looked at them. Gage leaned forward.

"Is there any way you're going to be able to talk some sense into these guys," he said.

Walker sighed.

"If we try, they'll just keep telling us we're emotionally involved because our loved ones are being held in there."

"You are the voice of reason here," Gage said, "You've got to say something."

"No, I'm going to do something," Walker said, "I'm going to talk with Matt Houston. Where is he?"

"The last we saw of him he was helping with getting that siding opened in the steam tunnel," Gage said.

Walker nodded.

"Then after this meeting is done, we'll go talk to him."

* * *

Matt turned around and saw Sydney looking back with her arms folded.

"I'm going into that entrance," he said, "It's wide enough to fit us now."

"Says who," Sydney said, "You're a civilian and you're not in charge."

"Look Sydney," Matt said, "Those feds up there are going to send in the SWAT team and then they're going to need a line of backhoes to move out the body bags."

Sydney brushed her hair out of her face, already feeling the humidity again.

"You could be putting this entire operation into jeopardy."

"I'm not going to let her or the others die inside there," he said, "and that's exactly what will happen if they send in SWAT. Those robbers are so unstable, they will kill the hostages before anyone has a chance to kill them."

"You don't know that," Sydney said.

"Of course I do," Matt said, "and so does your supervisor, Walker. It's written all over his face."

Sydney looked away unable to deny the truth in that after having watched her boss since she had first arrived at the scene.

"How do you know that passage way is even safe," she asked.

"I don't know that yet," Matt said, "but I do know the longer those hostages are in there, the more likelihood that either the robbers or the rescue attempt will seal their death warrants."

"It could be a dozen or so feet straight down if the floor is rotted," she said.

"I know that," he said, "which is why I plan to be very careful."

"You know, I could stop you."

"I suppose you could try," he said, "but you could also help me."

"How?"

"I need someone to come in with me," he said, "How about it?"

* * *

C.J. helped keep Chris calm and doing her breathing between her labor pains, but inside she worried about whether or not she and Alex would be able to help Chris deliver her baby safely. Considering the circumstances, so many things could go wrong.

"It shouldn't be much longer," Alex said, "I think you'll be ready to start pushing pretty soon Chris. So get ready."

Chris nodded.

"I sent Fran to get some more towels," C.J. said.

Fran had to push her way through the small group of women who had moved over to that corner of the office to see what was going on. Fran asked them to clear back and give Chris plenty of space and they did.

Missy went into another room and brought back some more monogrammed towels for Fran.

"I don't know who they belong to," she said, "but I don't think they'll mind considering the circumstances. "

Fran took them back and handed them to Alex.

Suddenly Chris felt a sharp pain and squeezed C.J.'s hand.

"I think the baby's coming."

Alex took one look and told Chris to start pushing.

* * *

Matt entered into the passage way which was barely wider than a crevice in some of the canyon walls he had hiked through during his military training. Sydney came from behind him and shone the flashlight on the floor which looked old but fairly solid. They both tested it one at a time with their feet. Sydney just looked at Matt, not believing that she had actually allowed him to talk her into following her into the passage. She planned to use as her argument later on that she had followed him to prevent him from causing any problems or getting into trouble. However, after watching him for several minutes, it was clear he knew what he was doing.

"Now I think we've come in to an older section of the building," Matt said, looking around.

Sydney nodded.

"I think this was probably part of the old saloon," she said, "Our guide told us they might have used the tunnels originally for smuggling booze and gambling profits."

"The trick will be trying to find out where the old building merges into the newer one, the bank, and hope it's not through a solid cement wall," Matt said.

Sydney put her hands on her hips.

"There should be a door or entrance of some kind somewhere," she said, "It might be blocked or even bolted shut but it should still be there."

They both looked around the small, dark room for anything that might help them. The humidity of the tunnels had crept into the room making it very uncomfortable. Matt patted down the walls, looking for the passage way and Sydney joined him. They couldn't have come this far just to reach a dead end could they?

* * *

For the next 30 minutes, Chris pushed when she was told to push and rested, panting shallow breaths when told to do that. Time seemed to blur amid the pain and the fear she felt as she worked hard to bring her first child into the world. C.J. encouraged her and told her not to give up even when she felt exhausted. Alex told her when she first saw the crown of the baby's head and placed her hand on top of it to control its progression. Chris smiled and nearly started crying at that news and that strengthened her resolve to keep going. When the shoulder came out, Alex gently guided the baby, checking to make sure that the umbilical cord wasn't wrapped where it shouldn't be.

Finally with one last push, the very last one that Chris felt she had within her, the baby was born, a young boy with a shock of dark hair. As the fluids drained from him, he started wailing, a welcoming sign in an office filled with women who weren't sure whether they would see the next day.

Alex held the baby, wrapped him gently in a towel and placed him with Chris. C.J. looked down at the baby, and her eyes teared up at the miracle of life.

The other women in the room celebrated and crowded around to see the baby.

"The placenta should be out soon," Alex said, "and if Chris starts nursing, it will help with any bleeding."

C.J. nodded and watched her friend hold her new son for a while. But then she realized that the hardest part still lay ahead and that was making sure that Chris and her son stayed safe no matter what happened next. She left to go see if she could clean herself a bit in the bathroom. As she opened the door, she noticed Bruiser wasn't standing guard as usual. When he heard Chris' yells, he probably ran off to the opposite side of the building.

She went into the woman's bathroom and began rinsing herself. Then she looked into the mirror, placing her own hand on her stomach thinking about her own miracle of life that grew inside of her.

Matt pounded on the wall and felt part of it emit a different noise, almost as if it were hollow.

"Here," Matt called to Sydney who walked over to where he stood.

He struck the wall again.

"It sounds hollow," she said, running her hands along part of the wall inside what looked like an alcove.

He felt the corner starting to pull away.

"I think it's mostly drywall," he said, as he began to pull it away.

C.J. finished washing herself off at the sink and then her eyes narrowed. She thought for a moment she had heard a noise from the nearby closet where the cleaning supplies were kept. She shook her head and resumed drying her hands and then she heard it again. She opened the closet and realized the sound came from inside behind the vacuum cleaner and several mops. She pulled them out to get a better sense of where it was coming from.

"Hello," she said, and then again louder, tapping on the wall.

* * *

Matt looked at Sydney.

"I think I heard something," he said, "I don't know if there's someone there or if it's an echo."

She looked at him.

"We'd better be careful," she said, "It might be one or more of the robbers on the other side."

Matt listened again.

"I don't think so," he said, "It sounds like a woman's voice."

Sydney looked at him incredulously and started removing the drywall.

C.J. watched in amazement as a portion of the wall in the storage closet fell away and even more so, when she saw his face, covered with fine dust.

"Houston, is that you?"

He looked closer into the hole and he saw her, the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.

She just shook her head at him, different emotions overwhelming her and smiled.

"What took you so long?"

He crossed over from one world into the next and took her in his arms. She wrapped herself around him taking in his scent and wondering if she could ever let go.

* * *

The three of them hid in the linen closet.

"It's risky for you to be here," C.J. said, "Usually there's a guard right next to the bathroom."

Matt put his hands on her shoulders.

"We can get you out of here," he said, "right through this passage way.

She looked at him for a long time and reached up to touch his face.

"No you can't Houston," she said, "They separated the men from the women and there's a bunch of us in a nearby office."

"We'll have to do it quickly but…"

"It's too dangerous to get us all out of here," she said, putting her hands on his chest.

"What are you saying," he said.

She looked at him and then she swallowed hard.

"I need you to do something," she said, "Chris had her baby. It's a little boy and I want you and this woman here to get her and her son out of here."

He looked at her and nodded.

"It's not going to be easy for a newborn baby," Matt said, "Those steam tunnels are pretty rough."

"It's a lot rougher in here," C.J. said, "and it's the best chance that Chris and her baby will ever have to be safe."

He frowned and narrowed his eyes.

"What if the robbers notice she's gone," he said, "What then?"

C.J. sighed, stroking his hair with her fingers.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Matt didn't like the sound of that but her facial expression left no room for argument and time ran short.

"I'll be right back," she said, quietly, "If I don't return in 10 minutes, get out of here."

He watched her leave, feeling helpless.

* * *

C.J. went into the office and pulled Alex aside explaining the situation to her. Alex made preparations so that Chris could leave with her baby.

"You mean Matt's waiting in a linen closet for us," Chris said, incredulously.

"He and a female Texas Ranger," C.J. said, "You've got to go with them and do whatever they say. They'll take care of you and your baby."

Chris nodded.

"I trust Matt absolutely," she said, "I'm ready to go…but what will happen to you?"

C.J. looked at Alex.

"We'll do the best we can," she said, "We'll be fine."

* * *

Chris' eyes filled with tears because she had no doubt that when the robbers had found out that they had smuggled her and her baby out of the bank, they most certainly would not be fine. But there was no arguing with C.J. Her mind was made up and besides, Matt had risked a great deal and waited for her.

Chris gave her son to C.J. who held him close to her, as he remained quiet while Alex helped Chris stand up. Fran opened the door and looked around. The corridor was empty so they proceeded to the bathroom and then the linen closet. Matt looked up to see C.J. carrying Chris' son with as great care as if he were her own and tears sparked in his eyes. He had so many things he wanted to say to her, to ask her and no time.

C.J. kissed the little one on the forehead and handed him to Sydney who took hold of him, tucking him under her jacket. Sydney crept back out of the linen closet and Chris gingerly stepped through to follow her. Before Matt followed them, he looked at C.J. one last time.

"I love you," he said, grabbing her in his arms.

She started crying, as she tucked her head under his chin, wanting to stay there forever.

"I love you more than I can ever say," she said in response.

"I'm going to get you out of there," he promised.

She nodded.

Then they kissed good bye and he slipped back into the wall from where he came.

* * *

Brody and Walker entered into the tunnel just as they saw Sydney come out of the passageway back into it. They saw that Sydney carried a young infant in her arms.

"Where the hell have you been," Walker said, then saw a blond woman come out of the wall behind her.

Matt came out last.

"We've got to get Chris and her baby out of these tunnels and to a hospital," he said, "We can argue about what the hell we've been doing later."

Walker nodded, shaking his head as they all continued down the tunnels.

The women minus Chris sat in the office, talking excitedly about the baby. Then the door opened and they looked up to see Bruiser standing there but he wasn't alone. Right next to him stood Duke, the ringleader and as he gazed around the room, he frowned.

"Which one of you is missing?"

Alex and C.J. looked at each other.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21---Here's the latest chapter of the cross-fiction. Thanks for reading and I hope you like it and thanks for the feedback!

* * *

After C.J. and Alex looked at each other, they then looked up at Duke.

"What are you talking about," C.J. said, "Everyone's sitting right here like we have been for hours now."

Bruiser scratched his head.

"Something's not right boss," he said, "I could have sworn there was a woman here about to have a baby."

Duke nodded.

"I remember that too," he said, "Now where is she?"

C.J. swallowed, while she tried to think. She looked at Alex sideways.

"Maybe she went to the bathroom," C.J. said, "You know, pregnant woman, small bladders."

Bruiser frowned.

"I swear these two women said she was just about to pop out a baby."

Duke stroked his chin.

"I remember hearing that too," he said, "We need to go look for her."

C.J. stood up.

"She must be someplace nearby," she said, "Where else would she be?"

Bruiser shook his head.

"Could there be another way out that we haven't covered?"

"I don't know," Duke said, "We got blueprints for the bank when we planned the robbery and all the exits are accounted for and sealed up tight."

"Then she must be around here somewhere," Bruiser said.

"Obviously," Duke said, "She couldn't have just disappeared into thin air."

They both looked at the women sitting in front of them.

"Did any of you see where this pregnant woman was going," Duke asked.

They all shook their heads.

* * *

Walker exited the steam tunnels and helped Sydney who was carrying the infant up the steps through a manhole. Matt and Brody helped Chris up behind them. Gage came rushing up to them.

"Where did these people come from," he said.

"Inside the bank," Sydney answered, "Matt and I smuggled them out through that passage way."

Walker pulled out his phone.

"I'm going to get an ambulance to get this young woman and her baby to the hospital," he said, "and have someone track down her husband. I think he's back at the Mobile Station."

Chris sat down wearily nearby holding her baby. After placing his call, Walker went to talk to her.

"How are things inside the bank," he asked.

"They're getting really tense," she said, "C.J. and a woman named Alex tried to get the robbers to release me but the one named Duke wouldn't go for it."

Walker's eyes widened slightly at the mention of his wife's name but his professional mask returned.

"So who delivered your baby," he said, "Any of the other women?"

"Alex and C.J. did it," Chris said, "Fran was there too. Once my water broke, it happened so fast."

"He looks like he's in good shape," Walker said, "The doctors will look him and you over as soon as you get to the hospital."

Suddenly, they looked up and saw Dan rushing to see his wife. When Chris saw him, she started crying. He knelt down and embraced her.

"Thank God, you're safe," he said, then looked at his son, "How's he doing?"

"Just fine," Chris said, "He's got your hair."

Dan laughed as he stroked his son's head.

"I saw an ambulance and some medics leave the Mobile Station," he said, "They should be here soon."

* * *

Matt stood a distance away with Brody. Although he was relieved that Chris and her baby were safe, his mind remained elsewhere.

"So how was she?"

Matt paused for a moment.

"She looked okay," he said, "I really wanted her to come with me."

"I know Matt," Brody said, "but she was right to put Chris' needs and that of her baby's before her own."

"I know that," Matt said, "but saying goodbye to her and leaving was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do."

Brody slapped his back.

"You'll see her again," he said, "We're going to get them all out of there."

"How," Matt said, "If we leave it to the SWAT team, they could be as good as dead. C.J. said that the ringleader, this Duke character, is becoming less and less stable."

"Is there any way to use that secret entrance in a rescue plan," Brody asked.

Matt thought for a moment.

"Maybe," he said, "but as it stands now, it might be riskier than the SWAT operation. There's too much potential for a bottleneck situation."

"No kidding," Brody said, "but there must be some use for it in another way."

"I wonder if the robbers have discovered it," Matt said, "We tried to cover our tracks the best we could."

"If they now Chris is gone," Brody said, "They're going to go looking for it."

Matt turned and ran his hand through his hair.

"No, they're going to ask the hostages how she got out of there and things could get rough."

"Well, C.J. can take care of herself," Brody said, "She's pretty strong."

"She really wanted to get Chris and her baby out of there," Matt said, "It was very risky what she did."

"And she did get them out of there," Brody said, "Now we just have to find a way to get her and the rest of the hostages out of there."

* * *

After Duke and Bruiser left, C.J. put her head in her hands.

"They're going to be back," Fran said, "when they figure out someone had to help Chris and her baby get out of the bank."

C.J. nodded.

Gloria walked up to them, shaking her head.

"And they're going to get mad and take it out on the rest of us here," she said, "Because they'll know that some of you helped her escape."

C.J. looked up at Gloria.

"If it comes to that," she said, "I'll tell them the truth, that I'm responsible."

"I'll tell them that too," Alex said, "I'm just glad that Chris and her baby are safe now."

Gloria crossed her arms.

"Even if it puts the rest of us in danger?"

"We're already in danger," Fran said, "There's a very good chance that even if we hadn't helped Chris and her baby, that none of us might get out of this alive."

C.J. nodded.

"Those men are so unstable especially the leader and getting more so as the hours pass," she said.

"All the more reason not to do anything to piss them off," Gloria muttered.

"Gloria," Alex said to her, "C.J. and I already told you we have this situation covered. If anyone's going to pay for it, it'll be us."

C.J. sighed.

"Yeah," she said, "We'll keep the rest of you out of it."

Gloria shook her head but went back to her corner to sit down.

Alex turned to look at C.J.

"That spoiled brat is getting on my nerves," she said.

"Maybe," C.J. answered, "but she raised a good point. I don't want the other women to pay for what we did."

"I don't think that Duke will want to take it out on everyone," Alex said, "I think he'll be satisfied with one or two of us."

"I guess we'll find out soon enough," C.J. said.

"Are you worried," Alex asked.

C.J. nodded.

"Yeah, this was one of the first decisions I had to made where I wasn't just thinking of myself," she said, "It's really new to me. I hope they all aren't so hard."

Alex rubbed her shoulder.

"I know it was difficult," she said, "Just like I know it was hard not to tell your fiancée that you're pregnant when he's standing right in front of you."

C.J. sighed.

"I wanted so much to be able to tell him," she said, "Sometimes I think it's something I've waited a long time to do this but this isn't the right time, or circumstances."

"I know what you mean," Alex said, "You don't want him to worry more than he is already."

"Yeah," C.J. said, "And I know he would. I know he's trying to do the best he can to help us and he can't have any distractions. I don't want anything to happen to him."

"But you're a distraction," Alex said, "I saw how hard it was for him to walk away."

"Just like your husband worries about you and yet has to make all these decisions that impact the lives of all of us," C.J. said.

Alex nodded and rubbed her eyes.

"And I know he's thinking a lot about Angela," she said, "I wish I knew how she was doing through all this."

"I'm sure she misses her mother," C.J. said, "but I'm sure that people who love her are taking care of her right now."

"I'm sure Walker dropped her off at one of our friends," Alex said, "I can't wait until I can see her again and take her home."

C.J. grew thoughtful.

"Thanks for sharing the risk with me," she said.

"Hey, I was involved too," Alex said, "I'm just accepting the responsibility."

"I know I did the right thing," C.J. said, "I just don't know what the cost will be."

"It's going to be okay," Alex said, "We're both tough women who've seen a lot of adversity. We're about as equipped to deal with it as anyone."

C.J. looked at Alex boldly.

"Do you think they'll kill us?"

Alex thought about it.

"It's possible they might try," she said, "but I'm not going to give them that chance."

"Me neither," C.J. said, "I'm getting out of this alive and so is my baby."

* * *

Walker and Matt sat in the meeting being led by Denton and Jonathan in the mobile command station. Denton's mouth pursed a fine line when he heard the news about how Chris and her baby had been smuggled out of the bank.

"Now everyone's in danger," Denton said.

"They were already in danger," Matt said, "and this SWAT operation of yours is going to put them at greater risk of getting killed."

"Not necessarily," Denton said.

"If you go in there all gang busters, it won't be fast enough to stop Duke and his men from shooting hostages," Matt said.

"You can't say that," Denton said, "You're a civilian and do not understand our capabilities."

"I understand that it might provoke a response you won't be ready for," Matt said.

Denton sighed.

"Well Jonathan here can tell you…"

Jonathon shook his head.

"I'm having trouble with this strategy myself, Simon," he said, "and I told you my reasons why."

Walker approached the center of the room.

"I think there's a way to utilize the tunnels and that entrance to the bank," he said, "There's challenges considering the parameters of the secret entrance but we should be able to work around them if we all put our heads together."

Matt nodded.

"Sounds like a plan to me."

Denton glared at him.

"You don't even have a voice in this matter," Denton said, "in fact, you shouldn't even be here."

Matt approached him until the two men stood inches apart.

"I'm staying until my fiancée and those other hostages are safely out of there," he said.

Denton waved his finger.

"See, not only is he not qualified to be here," he said, "but he's got a clear conflict of interest knowing one of the hostages."

"Then so do I," Walker said, "but we are both able to place our concerns about our loved ones aside for the business of getting everyone out of there safely."

Brody chimed in.

"You could argue that the feds have a conflict of interest too given that the ringleader of this escapade escaped from one of their so-called maximum security facilities."

Denton scowled.

"What are you trying to imply?"

"I think he means that it would be very embarrassing if a group of robbers who were supposed to be in your custody wound up walking out of that bank alive," Matt said.

"Which means that any loss of hostages could be chalked up to collateral damage if any operation failed to bring them to safety," Brady said, shaking his head.

"These hostages are not collateral damage," Matt said, "not if I have anything to say about it."

Denton turned to face him.

"Well you don't," he said.

Jonathan spoke up.

"I'd be willing to include him in the planning of any alternate strategic plan," he said, "I've seen his work and a couple of times he put the feds to shame."

Denton sniffed.

"That's a matter of opinion and not one shared by the majority of the Bureau," he said.

"Then it's lucky that most of the Bureau's not here," Brody said, "And after what happened four months ago in L.A. I mean I was there during the Kostas mess."

Denton and Jonathan looked at each other.

"Don't bring that situation up again," Denton said, "The Bureau's already completed its administrative investigation into that situation."

"Not before you let one of those hostages in that bank believe she was crazy," Brody said, "when you had the abilities and the resources to find out what the hell was going on."

"We're not going to rehash that old business," Denton said, "We've got a new crisis here to deal with.

"Why don't I find that surprising," Brody said, as he went to get himself another sandwich.

Matt rubbed his eyes not able or willing to disagree with anything his former partner said.

"Brody, these men don't care about that botched up job they did with that case," he said, "or any of the earlier ones."

Jonathan rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"That's not true," he said, "At least not about all of us."

"Hadn't you just started the FBI when that case came in," Matt said.

Jonathan nodded.

"It would have been my second case except I was removed from the roster at the last minute," he said.

"That's because you slept with the Parsons' woman," Denton said.

"I had a relationship with her for several years when we were both a bit younger," Jonathan said, "and I was very up front about that."

Walker sighed.

"I know there's a case between some of you that's created a lot of bad feelings," he said, "but we need to work together as one team on this."

"I'm perfectly willing to do that if they don't get the hostages killed," Matt said.

Denton threw up his arms.

"There he goes again," he said, "making predictions that are alarmist and not based at all on fact."

"The one hostage that's come out of this so far told us about how the emotional stability of these men are deteriorating since it started," Matt said.

"This situation is still under our control," Denton said, "and we are the ones giving orders about what's going to be done about it and no one else."

With that, Denton left the room.

* * *

C.J. and Alex still sat in the office, wondering when Duke and his men would return with more questions about what happened to Chris.

"They'll be back soon," C.J. said.

Alex nodded.

"We can't tell them about that hidden entrance," she said, "It's possible that the police might be including it in any strategy they have for coming in or getting us out."

C.J. ran her hand through her hair.

"Yeah, well if they don't find Chris, they're going to know she got out somehow."

"We'll just have to come up with a plan," Alex said.

"Like what?"

"I don't know," she said, "but we need to buy more time until we can figure out how to proceed."

"We're the only two that know about the passageway," C.J. said.

"Yeah, at least the other women don't know about it," she said, "They just know that Chris and her baby are gone but not how."

"But those robbers will figure it out anyway," C.J. said, "and they'll use whatever tactics they need to try to get it out of any of us."

Alex nodded.

"They'll try with both of us first," she said, "since we were the closest and your friend, Fran too."

C.J. looked over at Fran and sighed.

"But she doesn't know anything," she said, "I don't want her to pay for what we did."

"Then we'll have to make sure it doesn't come to that," Alex said.

* * *

C.J. stood by the punch bowl at the gala, feeling really out of place. She had been invited with the rest of the lawyers in the public defender's office to attend the retirement party for a prominent local judge. Her boyfriend, Jonathan was undergoing special training at the FBI Academy in Quantico so she had invited Matt to attend in his place. His battle with the tie had made them a few minutes late but they had slipped in with the crowd that waited in line to enter the hotel ballroom.

She saw Alex standing across the room and walked over to talk with her. Alex, who nursed a glass of wine, looked up at her and smiled.

"I didn't know if I would see you here," she said.

C.J. smiled.

"I asked Matt to go with me and he decided to put his dislike of these types of soirees aside and come along."

Alex sought out the young man and saw him talking to a young woman by the bar.

"I see he's already found a friend," she said.

C.J. looked over and shrugged.

"Oh that's fine," she said, "He's not my date anyway and he enjoys the women."

"He's young," Alex said, "He's still got time to decide what he wants before he settles down."

C.J. laughed.

"I'm not sure he has any intention of doing that," she said, "He's a great guy and you couldn't find a better friend but he…plays the field?"

"At least you have someone who would go with you," Alex said, "Since breaking off with that loser with a hair trigger temper, I've been staying away from the dating game."

C.J. looked up and saw a man looking at him.

"Well then, who's that guy?"

Alex saw the man.

"Oh that's just Cordell…Cordell Walker," she said, "He's a new Texas Ranger. Already a star in his office."

C.J. sipped her glass.

"He seems to be paying a lot of attention to you," she said.

"We know each other," Alex said with a smile, "but we haven't gotten to the friends part."

"Oh," C.J. said, "So how well do you know him?"

Alex took a deep breath.

"We see each other at work," she said, "at least we're usually on the same side of the fence there but otherwise…"

C.J. smiled.

"I see," she said, "Doesn't mean you can't care about each other and give it a try."

Alex snorted.

"Give what a try," she said, "Remember, I've taken myself out of the social whirl of dating."

"Not forever I hope," C.J. said, "There's some nice men out there."

"I know," Alex said, "but with work and court cases and trying to figure my own self out, I just can't take that leap yet."

"Well, Jonathan and I haven't much time to spend together and we're miles apart most of the time anyway," C.J. said, "in more ways than one."

"Well what about that gentleman across the room?"

C.J. looked at him and laughed.

"He's my best friend, but I really don't think we're each other's type," she said, "and why rock the boat?"

* * *

C.J. smiled thinking how everything had changed in the years that followed that party. Alex looked over at her.

"What were you thinking?"

"About a conversation we had at that judge's retirement party we attended years ago."

Alex nodded.

"I remember that," she said, "Walker and I got stuck in the elevator and we had a major argument."

"Over what?"

"He thought I was a bit uptight and needed to relax more," Alex said, "I remember how angry I got at him for saying that but you know what? He was right."

"I'm sure he didn't say it to be mean," C.J. said.

"I know that now," Alex said, "but I certainly didn't know back then."

Suddenly, the door opened and they looked up to see Duke and Bruiser walk inside.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22--Here's the latest chapter of the cross-fiction. I hope you like it, thanks very much for reading and for the comments.

* * *

"What's the matter," Alex asked as she saw the two men approach.

Duke glared suspiciously at her as Bruiser walked around the room, searching.

"Are you still looking for that woman," C.J. said, "She's not here."

Bruiser looked up at his boss.

"She's right," he said, "The woman's gone."

Duke smacked Bruiser on the shoulder.

"Where could she have gone," he said, "I told you to keep watch over these women in case they tried anything."

Bruiser shrugged.

"I have to help you with something," he said, "Remember? That must have been when it happened."

Duke turned his attention away from Bruiser who breathed a sigh of relief and turned back towards the women.

"Where is she," he asked, "I'm being nice about it now but that could change real fast if you don't cooperate."

C.J. and Alex looked at each other. Neither of them harbored any doubt about that.

"We don't know," C.J. said, "Have you checked the rest of the bank?"

Duke glowered.

"Of course we did," he said, "That's why we're back here because we know that this woman is nowhere in the building. Which means she got out. This means she had help from one or more of you."

He looked at each woman in turn and they just looked at him quietly. That made him angrier as C.J. figured would happen. She tried to think quickly.

She looked quickly at Alex who just smiled weakly.

"Are you sure you looked everywhere," Alex said, "Every single office and restroom. Maybe she was going to the bathroom and fainted."

"She wasn't in any of the bathrooms and if she had fainted, we would have found her," Duke said, "A pregnant woman is hard to miss."

C.J. and Alex weren't sure how to answer that.

* * *

Alex cleaned the dishes in the kitchen, a chore she seldom minded while Walker tended to Angela. Their daughter had spent more time playing with her dinner than in eating it and her husband opted to deal with the fallout over the dishes. She smiled back at him and cleared the table. Since she told him about the job offer from the United States Attorney's office, they hadn't talked much about it. He knew she really wanted the job that she had taken her position with the county prosecutor's office as far as she could go and the frustration building within her had only grown. But he knew if she took the new job, it meant he might not see as much of her because it required more travel. Still, she promised him she would restrict overnight trips and never allow her career to come before her husband and daughter.

She heard the door open and Walker carrying a much cleaner Angela into the kitchen.

"I thought she'd like the creamed peas," Alex said, laughing, "I guess she thinks they're more suited for wearing."

Walker gazed at his daughter affectionately.

"She ate most of it," he said, "and decorated her chair with some of the rest."

"Takes after someone in this family I see," she said.

"Hey, I'm never going to say that I don't enjoy my food but most of it stays on the plate," he said.

"That's true," she said, "Though you don't seem to be that fond of your peas either."

"I'm a steak and potatoes guy," he said, "though I do eat my vegetables."

She gazed at him, pausing.

"Walker, I won't take the job if you think it's too much," she said, "It's just that…"

"I know," he said, "You're looking for something new to challenge and test you."

She nodded.

"But I would never let anything take precedence over you and Angela," she said, "and this job does require some traveling though mostly commuting to Houston or another city."

"You'd still be home for dinner at night even if you did that," he said.

"I promise I would be," she said, "and I'll minimize any trips longer than that. I've already explained to the supervising prosecutor and she's understanding about that."

Walker smiled.

"Why shouldn't she be," he said, "She knows she's getting the most talented prosecutor in this great state if you take the job."

"Could I use you as a reference," Alex asked.

"Any time."

"So you're fine with me taking the position," she said, barely hoping.

He nodded.

"Honey, you're tailor made for the job," he said, "and I would never stop you from doing something you really wanted to do."

She smiled broadly and put her arms around her husband.

"Thank you Walker for supporting me," she said, "I don't know what I would do without you."

He hugged her back.

"I'll make sure you never have to find out."

* * *

Alex looked up at the two men with greater resolve, the type that came from the absolute determination to be reunited with her family. Whatever it took, she was going home to her husband and daughter and that gave her the strength to endure anything. She looked up to see Duke still glaring at him.

"All right which one of you is going to tell me," he said.

She closed her eyes for a moment, praying for an answer that wouldn't get anyone killed.

* * *

Matt sipped his coffee closely watching the sun just begin to rise over the horizon. An entire night had passed, probably one of the slowest ones in recent memory. He stood by the command station trying not to think that the powder keg inside the bank could end any way but peacefully. He didn't hear Brody approach.

"I just got a call from Dan at the hospital," he said, "Chris and her son are doing just fine."

Matt smiled.

"That's great," he said, "At least they're safe."

"C.J. and several other women worked hard and took a great risk to make that possible."

Matt nodded.

"I know," he said, "and that's going to make it harder to get them out of there."

Brody sighed, sitting next to his friend.

"They probably took one look at that baby and decided that he was worth doing anything to protect, even risk their own safety," he said, "Babies do that to people. The instant they're born, they put you under their spell."

Matt raised a brow. Brody looked indignant.

"When you and C.J. have that little one of your own, you can get back to me on how wrong I am," Brody said. "On the other hand, I think I'll let her set you straight on a few things."

"She didn't tell me anything even inside the bank," Matt said.

"Why would she," Brody said, "She doesn't know whether she'll make it out alive. Maybe she's trying to protect your feelings in case she doesn't."

"Why keep it to herself," Matt asked.

Brody sighed with impatience at his friend who had a lot to learn about fatherhood in a not so very long time.

"She knows if she tells you and she doesn't make it, the deaths of two people will haunt your life," Brody said, "But a part of her knows that she wants to tell you more than she's ever wanted to tell anybody anything. That puts her in a difficult place on what should be a joyous occasion between two people who love one another."

Matt shook his head.

"It's not going to be an either/or situation, because we're going to get her out of there," he said.

"I think we will," Brody said, "and then a new phase of your lives is going to begin, one you'll never recover from until your kids are 18."

Matt narrowed his eyes.

"You seem awfully sure that she's expecting," he said.

Brody patted Matt's shoulder.

"I've had a lot of practice with this sort of thing," he said, "and when I saw her inside the bank and how she grabbed that special order bag of Anchovies, that clinched the deal for me."

"She was being held hostage at gunpoint," Matt said, "Maybe that explains why she grabbed them so quickly."

"Nope," Brody said, "C.J. was probably the calmest person inside the room. But she wouldn't be the first pregnant woman to develop a taste for them."

"Brody, they have more scientific tests for determining this kind of thing than sudden food cravings," Matt said.

His friend waved his arm dismissively.

"The man just knows when he's hit a field goal," Brody said, "If he's an intuitive guy like I am to begin with."

He cast Matt an appraising look.

"Then there are those men who might need more practice at recognizing these more subtle signs of Mother Nature."

Matt shook his head.

"What the hell are you talking about," he asked.

"Haven't you considered the possibility that she might be…"

"Pregnant," Matt finished, "I haven't had any time to consider it. I haven't heard it from her, and now with her in the middle of this bank siege, all I can think about is getting her out of there."

Brody studied Matt.

"Do you even want children," he said, "because if you're already getting cold feet…"

Matt rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Yes I do. I've wanted them my whole life," he said, "and I've chosen who I want their mother to be. But I can't think about what might be right now, because I've got enough of what will be keeping me busy right now."

Brody nodded.

"Okay," he said, "The lack of a wedding thing doesn't bother you then."

Matt turned around to face him.

"What kind of question is that," he said, "I just want her and our child to be healthy, safe and happy. I want us to be a family together however we work it out. We'll decide whether or not to reschedule the wedding sometime after this is all over but it's not a major issue here."

Brody nodded.

"Good," he said, "then we're ready to go."

* * *

Duke and Bruiser stood over the women who sat on the floor, looking up at the men who held their lives in their hands. Then one of the men, Duke, pulled out his gun and some of the women shrank away.

"All right, this is where it starts getting serious," he said, "Either someone tells me where the missing woman is or I start shooting each one of you for each moment you remain silent."

They looked at each other in fear as Duke aimed his gun at the group.

"Who should I start with," he said, "The woman with the little girl sitting over there."

C.J. and Alex looked at each other in horror.

Duke gestured to Bruiser.

"Bring her over," he said, then hesitated, "No bring her little girl over."

Bruiser started over to where Missy sat holding Amanda on her lap. When Missy saw him approach, she put the little girl behind her, causing Amanda to break into tears and start crying.

Fran stood up.

"You can't do this," she said, "You can't kill an innocent little girl."

Duke pointed the gun at her.

"Then you tell me where the missing woman is," he said, "I believe she was your friend."

Fran remained silent, but looked at him defiantly.

"So maybe we'll shoot you first," Duke said, "Right in front of the window where the cops outside can see."

"They'll charge the building for sure if you start killing people indiscriminately," Alex said, "the ones with itchier fingers are just waiting for you to do something stupid."

Duke spun around to face her.

"So you think we're stupid," he said, "Just a bunch of hick bank robbers compared to a well-dressed woman like yourself."

Alex stared straight at them.

"You said it, not me," she said.

Bruiser looked at his boss.

"None of these women are going to talk," he said, "and if we start shooting them, they really will come after us for shooting a bunch of defenseless ladies."

Duke thought about that for a moment that felt longer than it really lasted.

"All right," he said, "We'll choose to just take a couple of you and put you in the safe to cool off then until you're ready to talk."

The women all looked at each other.

"And the winners will be the two biggest trouble makers," Duke said, "Get those two over there."

Alex and C.J. watched as Bruiser walked towards them. Duke pointed his gun at the two women so they wouldn't resist when Bruiser grabbed them. They walked out of the office under the close eye of the two bank robbers without an opportunity to look back. Then the two robbers led them to the safe, undid the combination and pushed them inside before slamming the vault shut.

C.J. fell on the ground but got her wits quickly enough to try and look around her. Pitch darkness surrounded her to the point where she searched for Alex but couldn't see but an outline of her figure.

"Are you okay," she said.

To her relief, she received an answer back.

"I'm okay," Alex said, "But I can't see more than a couple inches in front of me."

"Me neither," C.J. said, "We're going to have to use our voices to find each other."

"At least they didn't kill us," Alex said, "though they're probably still thinking about it."

"I'm not going to die here," C.J. said, "I'll kill them first if they try to stop me from leaving."

Alex sighed.

"I have no intention of ending up a casualty on the front page of tomorrow's newspaper," she said, "but our options are more limited here."

"We've just got to think about what we plan to do when they return," C.J. said, "How we can get the upper hand. We already have some advantage because we're women and they clearly don't think much of the abilities of the fairer sex."

Alex laughed derisively.

"Except when we're horizontal," she said, "but you're right."

"And we've got to do it before the SWAT team is sent in here," C.J. said, "I don't think they can pull off a rescue operation with brute force and not endanger most of the hostages."

"We'd be safer inside here if that happens," Alex said.

"But I want everyone out of here," C.J. said, "and we don't do much good inside here."

Alex moved closer to C.J.

"I don't think they plan to keep us in here long," she said, "They'll probably interrogate us separately."

"Well, we'll just have to make it interesting for them," C.J. said, "I have faith that if Houston and Walker work together, they'll find a better way to come in and get us all out of here."

"I agree," Alex said, "but they have to get to that point and we don't know what's going on out there."

"We do know from Houston that Walker doesn't buy into the feds SWAT plan anymore than Houston does," C.J. said, "I think that might push them in that direction. At least I hope so."

Alex looked around the room nervously.

"It's strange being inside of a room where there's very little to see."

C.J. picked up the tone in her voice.

"Do you have a problem in cramped spaces?"

Alex hesitated and then nodded.

"I and a Texas Ranger, not Walker were kidnapped and stranded in this small space where they tried to drown us by filling it with water."

"How awful," C.J. said.

"We got out of that situation but just barely," Alex said, "and I never felt the same in small, cramped places ever since."

"They kept me in a very small room that was mostly dark," C.J. said, "after they brought me to Andre Duval's compound. I was pretty much still out of it from being drugged but I didn't know enough to be as scared as I should have been."

"We've both survived some pretty horrifying ordeals," Alex said, "We'll make it through this one."

C.J. leaned her back against the wall of the vault, looking into the darkness and waited.

* * *

The restaurant served the best fish in downtown Houston but as Matt watched C.J. nibble at the halibut on her plate, he wondered if they should have eaten elsewhere.

"You don't like the fish," he asked.

She looked up at him and he noticed her face seemed a bit pale.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I'm just not hungry tonight."

"Too keyed up about work," he asked.

She paused.

"Maybe…," she said, "I've just been feeling strange the past day or so. Not sick, just different."

He studied her carefully. She appeared as beautiful as ever in her black dress with spaghetti straps and with her wavy hair settled on her shoulders. But even in the face of her beauty, worry gnawed at him. Her appetite just didn't appear as robust as usual. It wasn't like her to pick at her food. Not to mention that she also seemed preoccupied.

"But you don't look okay," he asked, "Are you sure you're not coming down with something?"

She shrugged as she pushed her fork around some more on her plate.

"Just tired…," she said, "I had a long day preparing to go against Alex Cahill-Walker in court. I really have my work cut out for me with her representing the federal prosecutors' office."

"You look exhausted," Matt said, "I know this case is important but you need to get some rest and not burn yourself out."

"This case is very important to me," C.J. said, simply, "and I'll get more rest when it's resolved and Alisha is in safe hands."

"That could be a while and we both know it," Matt pointed out.

She nodded.

"But I still have to put everything I have into this case especially going against someone like Alex," she said, "I really have to be on my toes with her."

Matt looked at her, shaking his head.

"But you look like you're just about to fall asleep on your feet."

"I'll be fine," she said, "but I'm just not hungry tonight. I'll go home and get a good night's sleep and be ready for court tomorrow."

"I'm going to be heading out to L.A. tomorrow to finish the paperwork on the agency," Matt said.

She looked at him quietly, watching the interplay of emotions on his face. She knew his decision hadn't come easily and that parts of him remained conflicted. But when she broached the subject with him, he reassured her very quickly this was what he wanted, to surrender one dream in favor of a better one. Still, she knew how much he loved the years they had spent working together as a team before she moved to Houston and he hired some ex-law enforcement officers who came highly recommended by Capt. Hoyt to work his case with him. She wished she had the energy to find out how he really felt but between the difficult court case and the perplexing wave of nausea that had struck her the past several days, she had a lot on her plate.

He looked at her plate where most of her halibut dish remained.

"Would you like some of it," she asked.

Matt had finished his bass and he still felt hungry. C.J. needed the food more than he did but he slid some of her fish onto his own plate.

She smiled at him as he did so.

"Don't worry about me," she said, "I'm sure I'll feel better tomorrow."

Of course she hadn't, and what little she had eaten of the halibut led to her quick rush to the bathroom as soon as she woke up, leaving a concerned and perplexed Matt in her wake. And now a secret lying between them.

* * *

Alex interrupted her reverie.

"What are you thinking about," she asked.

"The night we went out to dinner only I couldn't eat very much of it because of the pregnancy," she said, "I had hoped that he would have told me that he was fine with turning the agency over to his partners."

"Do you think he has reservations?"

C.J. thought about it, revisiting past conversations they had on the subject.

"I imagine some," she said, "I know he wants to live in Houston with me but part of me still thinks he's going to miss his life in L.A."

"Is he happy with you?"

C.J. smiled.

"Oh yes," she said, "The past few months we spent together have been the best ones of all. I know he's where he wants to be but sometimes even so, it's hard to let go of what you had."

"But he has a baby coming now," Alex said.

"Yeah, I think after we decided to get married, we started our family," C.J. said, "Earlier than planned but I don't care about that."

Alex smiled.

"I doubt he will either," she said, "once he finds out."

"I know he's going to be a great father," C.J. said.

* * *

Matt and Brody moved up to where Walker stood talking to Jonathan, shaking his head.

"What is it," he asked.

"They're planning to go ahead with the SWAT operation," Walker said, "In a few hours."

"But we still need time to find out if there's a safer way to get the hostages out."

"They don't see that way," Walker said, "Well, Jonathan does but his superiors don't and they make the decisions."

"I'm not going to let anything happen to those people," Matt said, "There's another way to handle this situation and I'm going to find it."

Brody looked up.

"Count me in," he said.

Matt nodded at Brody and then looked up at Walker.

"Okay, what's it going to be?"


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23---Here's the latest chapter of the cross-fiction. Hope you like it and thanks for the comments.

* * *

Walker looked up at Matt and saw an argument coming.

"Now hold on," he said, raising his hand, "I'm still waiting for my Rangers to tell me everything they know."

Matt folded his arms.

"Which is?"

"They both the tunnels and where they led to the bank," Walker continued, "and you took Sydney in there with you."

"She was just trying to keep an eye on me and make sure I didn't get into trouble," Matt said.

Walker nodded.

"I trust my Rangers, Mr. Houston," Walker said, "You're going to have to do that if we're going to work together."

"Trust is earned in my neck of the woods," Matt said.

Walker raised his brow.

"We're both Texans," Walker said, "So we shouldn't even be needing to have this conversation."

Matt set his jaw, not convinced.

"We need to have it, if you're planning to agree that sending in a bunch of commandos is going to get those hostages out of there in any shape but dead."

Walker looked towards where the federal agents were conferring.

"No, I don't think that sending in SWAT is going to work out well for the hostages," he said, "Which is why my Rangers and I are trying to come up with a plan that's better to sell to the feds before they send their men in."

Matt watched Jonathan apparently having an argument with Denton.

"You'd better work quickly," he said, "I never could figure out how those two men ever wound up on the same team."

Walker sighed.

"You know both of them much better than I do," he said, "Agent Denton's honest but he can be bullheaded when he's got a strategy to press forward."

Matt paused, digging into the dirt with his shoe.

"How do you feel about having your wife caught up in a SWAT operation?"

Walker studied him, knowing the answer that Matt was seeking. He felt as weary as he probably looked and saw in Matt, a mirror reflection of himself.

"I'm not thrilled about it," he said, "but Alex knows what to do. Hopefully, there will be enough time for her to help the other women prepare."

"I'm not thrilled about my fiancée being caught in the middle," Matt said, "but she seems to be handling it well as could be expected."

"She got your friend and her baby out of there," Walker said.

"She did," Matt said.

"But we've still got lot of hostages locked up inside."

"We could get more people out of that secret exit," Matt said, "and we could get people inside."

"Sydney told me that there's a possibility that either might work," Walker said, "but I think we need to work out any logistics before we risk trying it."

Sydney who came up to Walker nodded.

"I'm sure the women in there will do their best to make sure that the robbers won't find out about it," Sydney said, "Of course, we'd still have to be prepared for anything."

"Like an ambush," Matt said, "because those men will be ready."

Walker didn't say anything to that because he knew Matt was right.

"I know C.J.'s pretty stubborn so I doubt they'll get the information from her and your wife?"

Walker smiled grimly.

"She's as stubborn as they come when there are lives at stake," he said, "She'll keep it close to her chest."

Jonathan walked up to them, his face looking sober. Matt knew the news wasn't good, but how much worse could it get?

"What's up," he asked.

"Denton's been given authorization by his boss to send SWAT inside the bank," he said, "It could be any time now."

Walker and Matt looked at each other.

"There's still alternatives to try before sending them in," Walker said, "I've got two of my best Rangers working on whether or not that entrance they've discovered in the steam tunnels is a viable option."

Jonathan sighed.

"There's no time," he said, "at least that's what Denton and his bosses are saying."

Matt looked back at the bank.

"So when do they go in?"

"Probably within a couple hours," Jonathan said, "Though Denton said they should have been dispatched before sunrise."

"That wouldn't have been enough to surprise those guys," Matt said, "Their nerves have been on edge for hours now."

"But they can't stay alert forever," Jonathan said, "Adrenaline burns out eventually and so will they."

"So you think that they're not going to react when SWAT comes crashing through the doors," Matt said, pouring himself some more coffee.

"It's the only chance that we might have to get them out of there," Jonathan said, "The longer this siege goes, the worst it's going to get for the people trapped in there with those men."

"It's bad enough now," Matt said, "but what if those robbers try to shoot back at the SWAT team and the hostages get caught of the middle of the fire fight?"

Jonathan sighed. There wasn't an easy answer to that question. All he could do was repeat what Denton had been telling him for the past several hours. Words that he himself didn't trust.

"These men are trained to deal with any situation that comes up and to expect the unexpected," he said, "They will go in there fully prepared."

But Matt heard something in Jonathan's voice which made him wonder if the FBI agent even believed his own words.

* * *

C.J. leaned against the wall and stared out into the darkness. Where they sat inside the confined vault appeared pitch black. Every few minutes, she held her hands in front of her face to make sure she could see them.

"It's hard to believe a place could be so dark," Alex said, "I wonder how long they plan on keeping us in here."

"I don't know," C.J. said, "I would have thought they would be taking us out to try to get us to tell them how Chris and her baby got out of the bank."

"They're not getting it from me," Alex said, firmly, "The cops outside might be using that entrance to find a way to get us out."

C.J. nodded.

"If they aren't, I'm sure Houston is," she said, "No, we've got to make sure they don't get any information from us, no matter what."

"It's amazing that they got us in here," Alex said, "I didn't think they would know the combination."

"They probably forced it out of one of the employees," C.J. said, "After all, they probably emptied it before they were trying to make their getaway."

"Or there's an insider involved," Alex said, "I really didn't even have come to the bank today, but I told my husband I would take care of some checks."

"We were rushing from lunch," C.J. said, "but we thought we'd be in and out of the bank in a few minutes."

"The best laid plans…"

C.J. sighed.

"You can say that again," she said, "At least Chris is out of it and Fran can hold her own. She's very tough."

"We'll be fine," Alex said, "We just have to be strong and not tell them what we know until the police figure out what to do to get us out of here."

"Does your husband have faith in them," C.J. asked.

It took a moment for Alex to answer.

"I don't know," she said, "He likes to be in charge of these operations and I doubt that's the case here."

"My fiancée doesn't have much faith in them like he used to," C.J. said, "He's got friends that are cops and ex-cops but with everything that happened in the past year or so…"

"Yeah, I heard that the U.S. Marshall's division had to really clean up shop because of dirty agents," Alex said, shaking her head, "but I'm sure that they were just bad apples."

"It's hard to hold onto that when you've got one in your sights and you have to kill him," C.J. said, "but he was about to kill Houston."

"Killing in self defense or defense of others," Alex the prosecutor started.

"Is still killing," C.J. finished with a sigh.

"I read that one long-time supervisor got blown up in that train station explosion in D.C," Alex said.

"Yeah, he was actually there to pick up the money that he received when he sold my location to Andre Duval," C.J. said, "I guess no one warned him that Duval doesn't like loose strings in his organization."

"I can imagine."

"And the longer it went on, the worse the betrayals," C.J. said.

"Walker's had to go after dirty cops," Alex said, "and I've prosecuted my share of them. I'll never understand it."

"It was hard on Houston," C.J. said, "He wanted to keep me safe and wound up being a fugitive. So it's hard for either one of us to have much faith."

"That must have been very difficult," Alex said.

C.J. shrugged.

"We had faith in each other," she said, "That was enough. That and having a whole bunch of people helping us get home."

"Well, my husband and his Rangers are good people and they'll find a way to get everyone in this bank back home," Alex said, "I have absolute faith in Walker."

C.J. smiled.

"I always thought he was a good man even before you did," she said, "I told you that the night of that party."

Alex pursed her lips.

"He kind of has a way of growing on you," she said, "What about you and Houston?"

"He didn't have to grow on me," C.J. said, "We just had to realize that our friendship was just the beginning and we could build on it. He figured it out before I did."

Suddenly, the door slid open and a blast of light hit them. C.J. could barely make out Duke's outline.

"So which one of you ladies are ready to talk to us first?"

* * *

Matt felt the heat begin to stroke the back of his neck. Another hot, humid day had begun in Houston and the bank siege still continued. Brody walked towards him with some breakfast sandwiches. He tossed one to Matt who caught it.

"I bought these up the street," Brody said, unwrapping his meal.

"I'm going back in that bank," Matt said, finally.

Brody stopped in mid-bite.

"You're what?"

"If I can get back in there, I can get more information about what's going on," Matt said, "and I can find out something that will get the feds to call off their operation."

"Matt, it's too dangerous," Brody protested.

"It's no more dangerous than what those women are facing inside that bank," he said, "and if SWAT goes in, some of them are going to die."

"C.J. won't be one of them if that happens," Brody said, "She can handle herself."

"She might not have time," Matt said, "because when those men go in, they're going to hit the bank hard. The hostages won't have much time to do anything but react."

"SWAT will tell them to stay on the ground until they're searched," Brody said, "That will give them some cover if there's a shootout."

Matt grimaced at the scenario that Brody presented.

"It's not enough," he said, "not nearly enough."

"So you're just going to go in there by yourself and try to get the robbers to surrender," Brody said, temporarily forgetting about his breakfast.

"You're going to help me," Matt said.

* * *

Walker looked over at Matt and Brody talking.

"I know what they're doing," he said.

Sydney looked up at him.

"What Walker?"

"Houston's not going to wait until SWAT goes in there," Walker said, "He realizes how dangerous the operation would be."

"Can you blame him," Sydney said, "Besides, he's not rash and he's very well trained from his time in the military…"

"You learned that from working with him?"

Sydney nodded.

"He's not the average civilian for sure and nothing matters more to him than that woman inside there."

Walker sighed.

"That's what concerns me," he said, "partly because I know what he's going through."

Sydney gazed at her boss, her eyes brimmed with worry.

"You're really worried about Alex," she said, "She's going to be fine Walker. We'll get her out of there."

"I wish it were that easy," he said, "but we're not even in charge and those who are, they're just not thinking of the consequences of their actions."

Sydney nodded.

"You'd think that taking care of those robbers was more important than ensuring the safety of the hostages."

"Part of that is because Duke escaped under their watch and rejoined his gang right under all our noses," Walker said.

Sydney looked at Matt again.

"He's going to go back in there if we don't come up with a better plan than what the feds have," Sydney said, "He's nothing if not very determined and very resourceful."

"That might be," Walker said, "but he can't handle those men alone. He'll wind up dead or they'll get another hostage."

Sydney hesitated.

"Walker…"

He turned towards her, picking up a tone in her voice which told him what she'd say next.'

"Sydney…."

"Listen, I think we could work with him," she said, "Maybe if we looked into the steam tunnel angle a bit further…"

"The feds don't want to wait," Walker said, "In fact, they wanted to go in several hours ago. I bought us some more time with Jonathan but we're almost out of that."

"Why don't Gage and I go back down there and see if there's any way we can get our people in that building or maybe get more hostages."

Walker put up his hand.

"It's too dangerous."

"So is being a Ranger, according to the job description," she said, "I'm willing to try it and I know Gage will get on board."

Walker thought about it and then finally nodded his head.

"Okay, I'll give you authorization to go back down there," he said, "but you'll have to act quickly. We don't have much time."

Sydney nodded.

"Gage and I will get our gear and then we'll get back down there," she said.

* * *

Alex folded her arms and looked up at Duke and Bruiser, who stood at the entrance to the vault.

"Why don't you talk with both of us inside here?"

Duke looked at Bruiser.

"Because we're running this show and we'll give the orders here," Duke said, "and we're only going to take you one at a time."

"You mean you can't handle two little women like us," Alex continued, "Big strong men like yourself can't handle the both of us?"

"I don't think they can," C.J. said, "They're afraid we might pull a fast one on them and they won't see it coming like real men would."

Bruiser glowered.

"Boss, are you going to let her talk to us like that?"

Duke worked his jaw thoughtfully.

"You're pulling a fast one right now," he said, "by trying to get us to feel all insecure and decide to take you both in the other room and you'll try to pull something there."

Alex looked at C.J. who shrugged.

"He's got us all figured out," she said, "Maybe he's got some brains between his ears even if he's not man enough for the both of us."

"I don't think he can handle it," C.J. said, "Look at Bruiser over there and how scared he looks just at the thought of it."

Bruiser shook his head.

"I'm not scared of you," he said, "and my boss and I are more than man enough to handle all you women. We just don't want any trouble, that's all."

C.J. forced herself to chuckle.

"That sounds like fear to me," she said, "that you can't handle the both of us."

Alex nodded.

"Sure does to me," she said, "and what, it's not like you've killed that many men have you?"

C.J. looked at her fingernails.

"Only the ones who deserved it," she said, "but I'm a great shot."

Bruiser looked at Duke who shot him a look and then scoffed.

"What the hell are you talking about," he said, "You don't look like you could commit murder."

C.J. stared up at him, from the darkness both inside of her and around her.

"Well, I did," she said, "Didn't you read the papers?"

Bruiser looked nervous and C.J. wondered if he had.

"Boss, I think I remember this woman," he said.

"What do you mean," Duke asked, "Spit it out."

"She did kill a couple bad guys," Bruiser said, "Not like us, really bad guys."

Duke glared at him.

"We're really bad," Duke said, "baddest in six counties."

"That's not that bad," C.J. said, "I've seen much worse in my day. It's not like you have a reputation internationally as being bad."

"See what I mean boss," Bruiser said, "They are challenging us."

"Well one of them is coming with us," Duke said, eying the women, "so which one of you is it going to be?"

* * *

C.J. sat, waiting for her interview with investigators. She had just left the hotel where Matt and she had settled in for several days until they could hop on a plane and get out of there. He had been in the hospital for nearly a week recovering from another bullet wound. His doctor had prescribed bed rest and he had protested mightily. She smiled to herself at the vision. Houston was a lousy patient, most doctors found, but no worse than she had been when it was her turn to stay in the hospital.

She dreaded what waited for her inside a windowless interrogation room, where two men would be waiting to spend hours asking her questions. Her last experience inside a similar place hadn't been a good one.

She rested her head in her hands, thinking that time passed awfully slowly. The hands of the clock on the wall certainly hadn't seemed to move much in the past hour. She heard some footsteps come down the hall, boots with an uneven cadence. She knew who approached without even looking up.

When she did, she was furious.

"What are you doing here," she said, "You're supposed to be in bed."

Matt hobbled over and sat on an empty chair beside her.

"It's boring just laying there staring at the ceiling," he said, adjusting his sling.

"I left you some magazines to read," she said, "It's not like we've been catching up on the news going on for a while."

He looked pensive for a moment. C.J. hoped it wasn't pain from his injury causing it.

"I read in the society column of one of them that Elizabeth got engaged," he said, quietly.

Her anger left her as if it had never existed.

"I'm sorry," she said, "That must be a real shock to you."

"She married a oilman," he said, "Someone like my father. Someone nearly as old as my father was."

"Well, she had to move on I guess," C.J. said, "She needed someone to go home to every day."

He sighed.

"I guess so," he said, "I've moved on since she left me at the altar. I hope she's happy whatever she does with her life."

C.J. nodded.

"That's good," she said, "You'll find someone Houston. I can't see you spending your life alone without a family of your own."

He studied her and noticed her struggling with a sea of emotions.

"What about you," he said, "I can't see you alone either."

She looked away.

"I'm such a long way from that kind of life," she said, "I'll settle for getting through this interview."

He took her hand with his healthy one.

"I know it's going to be difficult," he said, "but I'll be waiting right here until you're finished."

She shook her head.

"Houston, you've got to get on out of here and get back to bed," she protested, "I'll be fine here."

"I'm going to stay right here until you're finished," he said, "I can always rest later."

She looked at him and at first he thought she might scold him again, but he saw her smile with tears forming in her eyes.

"Thank you," was all she said.

* * *

C.J. stood up in the darkness, holding onto the wall behind her for balance. The two men at the entrance way just looked at her.

"I'll go with you," she said.

The two men continued looking at her as she walked towards the doorway.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24---Here's the latest chapter of this cross-FF story. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading and for the comments!

* * *

C.J. looked at Bruiser in a way that caused him to release her arm. She looked around and saw that the three of them had walked into an office that was slightly larger than the one she had spent hours inside, watching the situation unfold.

Duke folded his arms and nodded at her.

"Sit down," he said.

She sat down in the nearest chair and then looked back up at him.

"I'm sitting," she said, "So what happens now?"

He clenched his jaw and said nothing. C.J. knew that his nerves were fraying and would continue to unravel the longer the siege dragged on. She didn't know what that meant for her and the other hostages but probably not anything good.

"I'll be doing most of the talking," Duke said, "Bruiser here will make sure that you answer my questions."

She wrinkled her brow.

"Oh, you mean he needs to do what you can't do yourself," she said, nodding.

Duke frowned and some veins popped out on his forehead. Which must mean he was getting angrier, C.J. decided. She knew she had to keep her cool no matter what.

"After all, if you were all that tough, Bruiser wouldn't need to be in the room."

Bruiser cocked his head.

"Why does she keep calling me that?"

C.J. looked him over.

"It fits," she said, "It's nothing to cry over."

He nearly lunged towards her. Duke grabbed him before he could get too far.

"She's just trying to get a rise out of you," Duke said, "You don't have to make it so easy for her."

Bruiser took a step backward while considering it.

"Yeah, I think that's exactly what she's trying to do."

C.J. shrugged, trying to keep her hands still. Damn, it was difficult to not let them betray her.

"I'm just sitting here waiting all patiently until you decide what you're going to do," she said.

The two men looked at each other then they looked at her.

"We're going to find out where that pregnant woman wandered off," Duke said.

C.J. looked confused.

"What do you mean," she said, "She could have gone to the restroom."

"We looked."

"Are you sure?"

Bruiser slammed his fist on a desk which nearly made C.J. flinch. Duke flashed him a warning look and he put his hand back by his side.

"Yes we're sure," Bruiser said, "and I stood by that bathroom most of the night and when I was gone, that was when she left."

"Who left?"

"The woman, who else," he said, sighing.

"The pregnant woman, right?"

He threw up his hands.

"Who else would I be talking about," Bruiser said, "Of course I mean the pregnant woman."

C.J. sighed and ran her hand through her hair.

"I remember seeing her," she said, "but she left. She said she had to go to the bathroom. For all we know, she could have collapsed some place in this bank after going into labor."

Bruiser narrowed his eyes.

"Boss, she was already in labor when I saw her," he said, "In fact, this woman said that she was going to have her baby right then and there in the office."

Duke listened to his partner then looked at C.J.

"Did she have her baby?"

C.J. looked at him.

"Why are you asking me that," she said, "I just told you she could be passed out somewhere or giving birth unable to call for help."

Duke folded his arms again.

"We looked everywhere," he said, "We didn't find her."

C.J. looked at him squarely in the eye.

"If she dies because she happened to be in this bank when you robbed it, then you're going to be held liable for her murder and you know what that means in Texas…"

Bruiser's eyes grew fearful.

"They're going to hang us boss."

Duke looked at him, irritated.

"They don't hang people in Texas anymore," he said, "They use lethal injection and besides, they aint going to catch us."

C.J. shook her head.

"Do you really think they're going to just let you go when this is over?"

Duke raised his brows.

"If they want to see their hostages alive, they'll do what we want," he said, "or we'll kill the lot beginning with you."

C.J.'s mouth grew dry. Her muscles ached and her stomach flip-flopped. And her damn craving for Anchovies returned.

"We're getting out of here but you're going to be the ones taken out in stretchers," she said, "if you don't surrender to the police soon."

"They won't touch us," Duke said, "or they'll know we'll start shooting."

"If you shoot us," C.J. said, "then how you going to fend them off when you've thrown away all your bargaining chips?"

"That's a good question, boss," Bruiser said, "What's to stop them from coming in and executing all of us?"

"They wouldn't be so stupid," Duke said, "They kill us, they lose their hostages in the process."

C.J. sighed as she listened to them. Poor planning had gone into this bank robbery and unfortunately, the hostages probably would be the ones who would pay for it. Even if the police did send a rescue team inside the bank, hostages would probably wind up getting killed before they reached the bank robbers to take them out. Collateral damage, the authorities would call it. She hated that term, a way to soften up the horror of the loss of human beings.

"So are you going to tell us where the pregnant woman is," Duke said, "or are we going to have to force it out of you?"

C.J. just stared at the both of them, not saying a thing.

* * *

Chris and C.J. spent over an hour in the boutique looking at clothes for Chris' baby that would be making its debut in about two months. The nesting instinct had hit Chris hard and she began fretting that she would never have the house ready for her new baby. So today, she and her friend headed off to begin the task of buying the baby its first wardrobe.

"They've got so many cute little outfits," Chris marveled.

C.J. agreed, down to the tiny pairs of shoes lining one shelf.

"Adorable," she said, picking up one shoe that fit in her palm.

"I don't know where to start," Chris said, putting her hands on her hips, "and those hats over there look so cute."

"You still don't know yet whether you're having a girl or a boy?"

Chris shrugged.

"We want to be surprised," she said, "Well, Dan didn't say much on the issue but I don't care which it is, as long as it's alive and healthy."

C.J. still believed that a part of Chris wondered if she would ever hold her baby after the difficult pregnancy she had experienced. The doctor had told her that most of her problems were behind her but she knew Chris still struggled with her doubts.

"There are a lot of clothes here for both boys and girls," C.J. said, "and besides, when they're tiny, they don't really care what they're wearing."

She walked over to look at the frilly dresses in all different designs and colors.

"You must be so excited," she said, "only two months left."

Chris smiled, holding onto her stomach.

"We've both wanted this for so long," she said, "After all these problems… I hope the delivery goes well."

C.J. reached for her friend's hand and squeezed it.

"I know it will," she said, "you and your baby will make it just fine and you'll forget about the rest of it."

Chris sighed.

"My ankles are swollen, my back hurts and I'm really tired," she said, "But I think it's been worth it."

"Of course it is," C.J. said.

"So what about you?"

C.J. looked at Chris.

"What do you mean?"

"When are you and Matt having kids of your own," Chris asked.

C.J. chuckled.

"We just got engaged," she said, "and we're scheduling the wedding for December after the hurricane season finishes at a house we still have to renovate. Anything else is going to have to wait."

"Will you want kids, right?"

C.J. nodded.

"I just want to be married first," she said, "And then when things quiet down, we'll think about getting started."

"Sounds like you two have a plan."

"Yeah, it does," C.J. said, "We just both want to be ready."

"Are you nervous about having children," Chris asked.

C.J. remained quiet, thinking about it. She had asked herself the same thing.

"Maybe…a little," she said, "I didn't have my parents for very long and I never really had a mother in my life when I lived with my uncle."

"You'll do just fine," Chris said, "and Matt will be a great father."

C.J. smiled.

"I know he will be," she said, "I know he'll protect our children."

Chris narrowed her eyes.

"From being kidnapped?"

"People who are angry with Houston or me could strike through our children," C.J. said. "and we'll have to teach them how to keep themselves safe from an early age."

"They'll be able to handle it C.J.," Chris said, "And so will you two."

C.J. hoped so.

* * *

C.J. smiled despite the pressure being placed on her by Duke and Bruiser as she lay her hand on her stomach. She smiled at the fact that all that planning that she had talked about had been knocked flat by Hurricane Gracie and that her neat list of scheduled priorities had been turned on its head. Life had a way of throwing you surprises when you least suspected them. At least this was a good one.

Duke glowered at her.

"What you smiling at?"

She looked up at him.

"At the two of you," she said, "You look a bit overwhelmed at handling women."

Duke glared.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, first you lose one," she said, "then you have to keep two of us locked up in a safe and then you keep getting all flustered and worked up when I'm trying to help you."

"You have a smart mouth," Duke said.

"Harvard educated," she said, "Thanks for letting me know all that time and money didn't go to waste."

"Why are you letting her talk back to you," Bruiser demanded. After all, it's not like Duke ever let he or Harley get away with that.

"Let me handle this," Duke said, moving closer to C.J, "I am in charge of this operation."

"Where is Harley anyway," C.J. asked the two men.

"He's watching the men," Duke said, "I have to say they've been much better behaved than you women have been. Not as demanding."

"No special orders on their pizzas," Bruiser muttered.

"They can't get pregnant," C.J. said.

Duke scowled again.

"I'm going to ask you one more time," Duke said, "and I'm not going to be so nice. Where's the pregnant woman?"

"I don't know," C.J. said, "I told you that she could be…"

Suddenly Duke's face turned red and he smacked her with his balled fist, causing her to crash on the floor. C.J. hadn't seen that coming and only had seconds to protect herself and her unborn child. She tried to cushion the fall with her hands, until her wrists burned. Her eye smarted.

"Boss…" Bruiser said from some place.

C.J. turned her face up to look at Duke, waiting for him to ask the question again.

* * *

Alex sat alone in the safe, wondering what was happening with C.J. and the two bank robbers. She knew that she would be dragged out of the darkness into another room, forced to answer their questions about Chris' whereabouts. At least she and her baby were safe, Alex kept repeating to herself. That was what was most important. They were safe and they were in good hands. Then Alex thought of her own future and whether or not she would see her husband or baby girl again. Each time she felt herself being pulled down that path, she forced herself off of it. She needed to think positive. Her husband and the agents he supervised would come up with a plan to save the hostages, she was sure of it. As sure as she had ever been about anything.

He walked her to her car and as she started to open the door, he grabbed her suddenly and embraced her tightly. She felt his warm breath against her cheek.

"What's the matter honey," she had asked.

"I'm going to miss you," he said earnestly.

She chuckled as she looked into his worried eyes.

"It's only for a day," she said, "just like all the other days. I'll be back tonight to eat with you and watch you tell Angela her bedtime story."

He still looked troubled.

"I don't know Alex," he said, "I have this feeling…"

"What," she asked, her brow furrowed.

She knew by now to trust his feelings. Experience had taught her that.

"I…"

And then it left him as quickly as it had come. An intangible feeling that despite the beautiful morning, something wasn't quite right.

"What?"

He shook his head.

"Never mind," he said, "I just don't want you to leave without telling you how much I love you."

Her eyes watered.

"I love you too, Walker."

And he remembered what she said, as he watched her drive away.

* * *

Walker watched after Gage and Sydney took off to go back down into the labyrinth of tunnels beneath the streets. He listened to their good-natured banter that belied the seriousness of the situation and knew it was their way to get their game faces on. Fighting the temptation to go with them had been tough but he forced himself to stay by the mobile station. His job was up here monitoring the federal agents who wanted to charge into the bank on a dime and not continue to play this waiting game. At least he had made some inroads with Jonathan, Walker sighed. He had to continue to chip away at the other man's doubts at working with him.

* * *

Gage and Sydney went into the tunnels.

"Gage, you did bring plenty of water this time," she said, "if you start turning that cute shade of red again, I won't be able to save you."'

Gage snorted.

"I can keep up with you," he said, "I'm fully acclimated to these tunnels now."

Sydney eyed him doubtfully. She would have to keep an eye on her partner, not that she minded doing that anyway. And at least now she had a ready excuse for him if she got caught.

She tossed him a bottle of water which he caught deftly.

"Then start drinking," she said.

They started walking and ahead of them saw two men. Shapes really with no discernable features visible through the fog.

"Who's that," Gage said, pointing.

Sydney looked carefully but the steam cloud had turned opaque.

"I think that's Matt and his friend, the ex-cop," she said, "Walker said they'd probably be down here."

"Oh that's great," Gage said, "Just what we need."

Sydney turned to him.

"It's exactly what we need," she said, "Matt's really good at this type of thing and having a cop…"

"Ex-cop," Gage reminded her.

"Having an ex-cop isn't a bad thing," she said, "We need help, Gage. We could do worse."

Gage frowned.

"Are you happy about Matt because you think he's good looking?"

Sydney's jaw dropped.

"What the hell kind of question is that?"

He looked away.

"You seem to like to spend time with him."

Sydney pulled her hair behind her absently.

"He's got a lot of good skills and knows how to use them," she said.

"Uh-huh."

Sydney caught his look and gave him one of her own.

"Don't even say it," she said, "You know what kind of skills I mean."

* * *

Matt and Brody heard footsteps behind them.

"Who's that," Brody asked.

Matt tried to see through the steam.

"Maybe some of Walker's people," he said, "I doubt it's the feds."

"Do you think they're coming to arrest us or help us?"

Matt shook his head.

"I'm not sure what their intentions are but they're not going to stop us."

"Matt, I know you really want to get in there and help them," Brody started.

Matt turned to face him and grabbed his shoulders.

"C.J.'s in there," he said, "and she's put herself in greater danger because she helped Chris and her baby escape."

"She's going to be fine Matt," Brody said, "She can take care of herself. After all she's been through…including you."

"I'm just worried," Matt said.

"I know you are," Brody said, "but we're going to put together a plan and we're going to get them out of there and maybe Walker's agents will actually help us do that."

Matt sighed.

"I suppose we can go and ask."

They turned around to walk towards Gage and Sydney.

* * *

C.J. tried to clear her head as she gingerly sat back up, one hand resting on her stomach. Duke stood above her. For a brief second when he struck her, she had seen Andre who had hit her once knocking the wind out of her so she couldn't fight back against him. After that flash faded in her mind, she tried to take in deep breaths to center herself.

"Are you ready to try answering my questions again?"

She looked at him, knowing that she would never betray the other women who had helped Chris escape and she couldn't afford to let them find the secret entrance Matt had found into the bank. Which didn't leave her with a lot of options. But there was another life to consider besides her own. Someone who needed her to live. And then there was the man she had waited her whole life to love.

"I'm ready."

"Because I really don't like hitting women and I don't," Duke said, quietly, "Unless they deserve it."

"Okay," she said, as she got up to sit in another chair trying not to think of anything else but his next question.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25---This is the latest chapter of my cross-FF story. I hope you like it and thanks for the comments!

* * *

C.J. stared at the two men staring back at her inside the office, trying to forget that her eye hurt. She tried to collect her thoughts in the few seconds she had been allowed.

"I thought you brought me here to ask me questions," she said.

Duke glared.

"Don't be smart with me," he said.

"Or you'll hit me again," she said, "You don't even know how to throw a good swing."

He almost did it, and then he started laughing.

"I see what you're doing," he said, "You're trying to get me upset enough to lose my temper."

She shrugged.

"It doesn't look like it takes that much to accomplish that."

Bruiser looked at Duke.

"She's trying to work you over," he said, "Mumbo jumbo psychology, that's all it is."

C.J. tried to look impressed.

"Did you go to college, Bruiser?"

"Stop calling me that," he protested, "or I'll…"

"You'll what," she said.

"Boss, are you going to let her…"

Duke's patience was truly wearing thin.

"Can't you see," he said, "She's trying to do the same thing to you that she's doing to me."

Bruiser nodded.

"I get that," he said, "What should we do?"

"You're never going to find her," C.J. said, looking at both of them.

"Who," Bruiser asked.

"The pregnant woman."

Duke scowled.

"Oh we'll find her," he said, "unless she's escaped and then we'll find out how she did that and who helped her."

"Why don't you just forget about her," she said, "Out of sight, out of mind, that kind of thing."

"Why don't you just shut up," Duke said.

"You told me to answer your questions," C.J. said, "I'm just trying to do that."

Duke looked at her for what seemed to be a long time. C.J. willed her heartbeat to slow down, to stop pounding inside her ears.

"Bring the other woman in here," he said.

Bruiser looked doubtful.

"Are you sure boss?"

Duke nodded and Bruiser left the room to get Alex.

"Now we're going to see if she's more helpful than you've been," he said.

"You better not hit her," C.J. cautioned, "Hitting a federal prosecutor can get you some serious prison time."

Duke laughed.

"That's very funny," he said, "You're lucky I brought my sense of humor to the bank today."

C.J. didn't feel lucky. She felt like she wanted to throw up and wasn't sure whether it was from being caught in the middle of a hostage siege for hours or just morning sickness. She rubbed her stomach and started thinking about the Anchovies she'd eaten hours ago.

Sadness crept into her thoughts as she pictured herself where she was supposed to be, at home and waiting for Matt to return from L.A. after he wrapped up his dealings involving his investigative firm. She knew that despite his desire to turn over the management of his business to his partners, he would probably return to Houston with some melancholy in his heart. Closing a very memorable and pivotal chapter of his history, of their history wouldn't come easily even though what had happened so far in their new lives had enriched them beyond all measure. And she knew when she told him her news, he would be thrilled.

* * *

She walked into the kitchen where Matt sat sipping coffee and reading the morning newspaper. She smiled, thinking that anyone who saw them might think they were just another normal couple when they both knew that word didn't exist in the vocabulary that defined their lives and their relationship. But after a year or two of tremendous upheaval in their lives, things were beginning to settle down. They had gotten engaged albeit while holed up in a luxurious penthouse suite of Houston Enterprises in the middle of a hurricane and they were deeply buried within their new careers, but quieter mornings like this one were becoming part of a norm that neither had really been familiar with during the past few years. She went to the refrigerator and poured herself some juice. Her stomach had been feeling queasy the past couple of days and she hadn't felt comfortable that her morning dose of java would do anything but upset it more.

He looked up from his newspaper.

"What are you smiling at this morning," he asked, resting his chin on his hand.

"I was thinking that if anyone saw us this morning, they might think we're two other people."

He chuckled.

"Yeah, it's been pretty quiet lately," he said, sipping his coffee.

She joined him at the table and he put the newspaper down.

"I like it this way," she said, "and I like it that it's you who's sharing this with me."

He stroked her hair and she leaned into him.

"I'm where I want to be C.J.," he said, "I've got a great new business. I can't wait to make a respectable woman out of you…"

She lifted a brow.

"Respectable?"

His face reddened slightly.

"You know what I mean," he said.

She chuckled.

"Yes I think I do."

He reached for her hand and she slipped it in his own.

"And then there's that land we've bought and the house that hopefully will be finished by Christmas…"

"We've done pretty well so far," she said, "We've got a couple rooms left to do."

"Like the nursery," he said.

She smiled.

"Why the hurry," she said, "Unless you know something I don't know."

He rubbed the bridge of his nose and then his eyes turned serious.

"It's just that we're both only children," he said, "and I know that when I grew up, I always wished I'd have a brother…or even a sister. The house got lonely sometimes."

She nodded.

"I know the feeling," she said, "When I lost my parents, I felt more alone because I had no close family left and I was pretty young. I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't moved to Texas and met you."

He heard the catch in her voice and looked at her as she brushed some moisture from her eyes.

"I want our children growing up having each other through the good times and the tough ones," he said, softly, "I want a household that's loud, messy and filled with happiness."

"I want that too," she said, "I never knew how much until recently."

"Of course, my part of getting there is easier," he said, "It's going to be tougher on you."

She laughed.

"Don't be too sure," she said, "When I send you out in a snow storm or hurricane to get me sauerkraut and rocky road ice cream, you might want to rethink that."

His eyes widened.

"Sauerkraut and what?"

Her eyes sparkled.

"Oh that's one of Chris' favorite cravings," she said, "Dan's worn out from late night runs and Houston's currently experiencing a shortage of both."

He rubbed her hand with his own and she closed her eyes, leaning into him.

"I'll get you whatever crazy food you want to eat and I'll rub your feet every night and I'll…"

Her mouth twitched mischievously.

"Keep the home fires lit," she said, "because that's another craving Chris told me about…"

The corners of his mouth turned up in a smile.

"Most definitely," he said, "I can promise you that. And speaking of which, I've been thinking that we should get in some practice...You know so we'll be ready when it's time to start this family of ours."

It took her about 10 seconds to agree with him.

* * *

C.J. smiled despite herself remembering their conversation and what had followed. She knew that once he got over the shock of her news, he's warm to it quickly enough. She looked up and saw that Bruiser had brought Alex into the room. She smiled at the other woman to reassure her that she was okay and Alex nodded slightly before sitting down in another chair and staring defiantly at their two captors.

* * *

Sydney walked up to Matt and Brody.

"Hi, we're here to ask you for your help."

Matt looked at Brody and then back at her. He gestured to Gage.

"What does he think about you working with a couple of civilians?"

Sydney looked directly back at him.

"He works with me," she said, "and everyone in this conversation knows that if the feds rush in with their SWAT team, that the hostages probably won't all make it out alive. What is it called when some of the innocent people die?"

"Collateral damage," Matt said, "and let's get this straight up front, I have no intention of my fiancée being anyone's collateral damage and that goes for everyone else in that bank that's not a bad guy."

She nodded.

"Then we understand each other," she said, "My supervisor, Ranger Walker, wants us to do more recognizance on these tunnels and any access passageways into the bank. But we're going to have to do it quickly. We're running out of time."

"I know that," Matt said, rubbing his head, "Those bank robbers are going to be getting more and more unstable and I don't think the feds are in much better shape."

"Matt," Sydney said, with a sigh, "Remember they are still the good guys."

"If anything happens to her, it's not going to make any difference."

Gage walked up to them.

"I think we'd better get started," he said.

Sydney nodded.

"Okay, let's see if we can find any other hidden ways into this bank then, shall we?"

The four of them began their search.

* * *

Walker watched Jonathan pace while he sipped his coffee.

"I never took you to be the nervous type," he said.

Jonathan stopped and turned to face him.

"This might be the first time I've been in this situation since I started the FBI," he said, "but I've done similar work while at the U.S. Marshal's Office."

Walker folded his arms.

"Different hats, different responsibilities."

"I think that also applies between state and federal law enforcement agents as well."

Walker couldn't argue with that but as each hour passed, his frustration had only grown. He didn't know how he'd ever explain it to his young daughter if anything happened to her mother let alone how he'd live with it himself. But he wasn't in charge of this operation which seemed to be heading in an ominous direction and there wasn't much he could do about that.

"Hey Walker," Jonathan said.

Walker looked up.

"If it means anything, I'm really trying hard to get Simon in on an alternative game plan," Jonathan said, "It's just not going very well so far."

"He's locked himself into his plan to where he doesn't think he can get out," Walker said, simply, "and people are going to die because of it if he moves in that direction."

Jonathan looked at Walker as he left the mobile station office.

* * *

Alex sighed as she looked up at Bruiser and Duke who were conferring in the hallway after Harley had called them out of the office where she and C.J. were sitting.

"So how you doing," Alex asked C.J.

"Okay," C.J. said, "They just ask the same questions about Chris."

"And we're just going to keep giving them the same answers," Alex said, "We can't let them find that passage way. It might be our only hope for getting all of us out of here."

C.J. nodded wearily. Alex's eyes widened when she saw her face.

"What did they do to you?"

C.J. tried to smile.

"Oh I forgot to tell you," she said, "If you don't give them the answer they want, they get a little pissed off."

"Did they hurt you?"

C.J. shook her head.

"I'm just worried about my baby," she said.

Alex rubbed her shoulder.

"He or she will be just fine," she said, "They're tougher than we know just like their mamas."

C.J. rubbed her eyes.

"I was thinking of how much I want to see him again and tell him," she said, "I want that more than I've wanted anything."

"You'll have that chance," Alex said, "We've just got to hold on a while longer."

"I know," C.J. said, "I've been trying so hard."

"You're just tired, hungry and very hormonal," Alex said, smiling, "Imagine PMS multiplied 10 times and then getting thrown in the middle of a bank robbery."

C.J. grimaced.

"Yeah, I think that's it."

"You've got a lot to look forward to," Alex said, "Being pregnant was one of the most special times of my life. Not to mention Walker's."

"Like I said, I wasn't expecting it this soon. We were talking about it but as part of the future...after marriage," C.J. said, "but since I found out, it's been exciting, a bit scary but I think I'm ready..."

Alex laughed.

"I was horrified and excited at the same time," she said, "For us, it was long-awaited like our wedding but I laid awake at nights wondering if I'd be able to handle being a mother and whether I'd grow to love it…and the dreams I had!"

"How'd you get through that?"

Alex beamed.

"Walker helped me a lot and I just fell in love with my baby, My Angela, long before I met her," she said, "I think that's how it is with mothers. That's what gets us through the difficult parts."

"Like when you thought you'd lose her?"

Alex nodded.

"I couldn't bear it," she said, "but Walker told me about what happened when she fought off death, what happened before his very eyes. It was a miracle but every new born life is one too."

"That sounds wonderful," C.J. said, "I'm so lucky to get this far. I didn't think I'd make it for a long time after what happened."

"After your experience with Andre Duval."

C.J. nodded.

"I would think about the things I wanted in life like children and a family when I couldn't even bear to be touched by the people I loved. When I couldn't even go home or use my own name or wake up without screaming."

Alex listened to her and smiled softly.

"You made it though," she said, "You've been through some of the most horrific experiences imaginable and you're at the other end of that journey."

"I'm with the man who was with me every step of that journey," she said, "who never gave up on me or our dreams. It was so hard sometimes but he never let me believe I wouldn't get through it."

"It's great having someone like that in your corner," Alex said, "Walker's been there for me so many times."

"Well, at least they're both working hard to get us out of here," C.J. said, "and we've got to do our part to be reunited with them."

* * *

Matt and Sydney carefully pressed on different parts of the walls in the steam tunnel but they didn't strike it lucky in terms of finding other entry points into the bank.

"I don't think we're going to find another entrance," Gage said, sipping from his water bottle.

Sydney threw him an irritated look.

"We can't give up," she said, "It took us a while to find the first one."

"We don't have a while Sydney," Gage said, frustrated, "We should just count on having the one we've discovered."

"Gage, must you be so pessimistic," she said, hands on her hips, "We need to keep hopeful."

"We need to be realistic," he said, "and we need to come up with a plan."

"Just give me 15 more minutes," she said.

Matt looked at both of them.

"They're like a married couple," Brody observed, "bickering over who runs the household."

"They're supposed to be the best team Walker's got," Matt said.

Brody shrugged.

"Some of the most successful partnerships in the LAPD are similar to theirs," he conceded, "I think they call them love-hate relationships."

"Hoyt told me some stories about his former partners," Matt said, "They were lucky they didn't kill each other, he said but he wouldn't be alive if it weren't for them."

"The steam tunnels would be a bad place for that type of brawl," Brody said, wiping his brow.

Matt walked up to Gage and Sydney who were standing toe to toe.

"If you two have a disagreement, why don't you just step aside, take deep breaths and get over it," Matt said, "We've got people, hell I've got a woman I love in there fighting to survive until we can get in there and get them out."

Sydney sighed.

"We're doing our best here…"

Matt shook his head.

"No you're not," he said, "You're having an argument about who's wearing the pants and meanwhile, the time for the hostages in that bank is running out."

Gage stepped up to him.

"Excuse me Mr. Houston but we've got to work out a strategy here."

Matt didn't budge.

"Then in that case, stop the bickering and we can all do that together because we're running out of options."

"We're aware of that," Sydney said.

"Okay, now that we've got that straightened out, why don't we all get together and come up with a strategy that will get those hostages out of there so we can all go home?"

"Mr. Houston…"

"So Walker's daughter can see her mother again, so that all the hostages can return to their families, so my fiancée can tell me that she's pregnant with my child…"

Both Sydney and Gage turned to face him, mouths agape. Brody looked at his business partner and friend.

"Yeah, what he said."

Sydney looked at them and then softened.

"Okay, you're right," she said, "Why don't we work together and come up with a plan?"


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26---Here's the latest chapter of this FF. I hope you like it, thanks for reading and thanks for the comments!

* * *

Matt looked at Sydney and Gage.

"Okay, what's your plan?"

The two Texas Rangers looked at each other, then back at Matt and Brody.

"I thought so," Matt said, dryly, "So you're lucky that my partner and I have come up with one."

Gage folded his arms.

"I told you, you need to leave it up to the professionals," he said.

Sydney held up her hand.

"Gage, will you give it a rest," she said, "We all need to work together down here."

"Listen to the lady," Matt said, "You work with us and we should get along just fine."

Gage pointed his finger at him.

"You don't give the orders."

"Someone's got to," Matt said, "because all I've seen the last day or so is a bunch of feds and state police and local police getting in each other's way."

"Hey, that's not fair."

"This isn't about what's fair and not fair," Matt said, "This is about getting these people in that bank out alive while there's still a chance."

"Duke and his men aren't going to start killing hostages until they figure out that their demands won't be met," Gage said.

Matt scratched his head.

"Well that shouldn't be much longer," he said, "This Duke might not be the brightest bulb in the box but I doubt he's as stupid as they're making him out to be."

Sydney's head turned from one to the other during their exchange. Finally she had enough.

"All right, it's stinking hot down here and as much as I'd love to watch you two go at it all day, we've got to start making some plans."

Brody nodded.

"What she said."

Matt glared at him.

"You two can pick up your disagreement after we rescue the hostages," Brody said with a shrug, "and while you're doing that, I'll take C.J. to the best steakhouse to celebrate her great news over dinner."

Matt looked at him incredulously.

"You think I'm kidding Matt," Brody said, "Try me or better yet, try working together."

"I thought you were on my side."

Brody shrugged.

"I'm on the side of the women inside there including one very special one."

Matt looked at him and nodded.

* * *

Alex and C.J. waited for Duke and Bruiser to return to the office to resume questioning them about Chris' disappearance.

"They've been out there a while," C.J. noted.

"Maybe they're rereading the playbook on bank robberies."

C.J. rubbed her stomach. Alex looked over at her.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm hungry," C.J. said, "I could really go for some Anchovies now, dipped in Tabasco sauce."

Alex grimaced.

"I'm sure it's better than it sounds."

C.J. shrugged.

"I don't know," she said, "I haven't tried both of them together yet."

Alex looked back at the two bank robbers who appeared to be arguing.

"Do you think the men are giving them this much trouble?"

"I doubt it," C.J. said, "They probably haven't had anyone in their group give birth yet."

Alex chuckled.

"True," she said, "Still, the day is young."

C.J. shifted her sitting position.

"This can't go on forever," she said, "Something's got to give."

"Us or them," Alex asked.

C.J. shook her head.

"Not me," she said, "I'm not giving up on getting out of here."

"I'm not either," Alex said, "I'm going to walk out of her and go home with my husband to our daughter."

C.J. smiled.

"We had a conference we had to go to this weekend," she said, "But with Chris having her baby ahead of schedule, she's going to come home in a few days without the nursery being done."

"I know the feeling," Alex said, "though mine was mostly done, after a few different paint jobs because we couldn't decide on the scheme."

"So I was thinking that the guys could get together and do the hard work and we girls could hang out with Chris and keep her company."

Alex nodded.

"That sounds like a plan."

C.J. grimaced.

"Except the fact that the he-man car show extravaganza is coming to town this weekend and Dan and Carlos had set their hearts on going."

Alex shrugged.

"Well, they can work on the nursery one day and go to the car show the next," she said, "The best from two different worlds that shouldn't ever be allowed to be on a collision course."

C.J. brightened.

"Houston's going to want to go to the car show too," she said, "He likes horses better than fast cars but he's always looking for both."

"He'll find plenty of them in Texas."

Suddenly, Duke and Bruiser walked back in the room.

"What you talking about," Duke demanded.

C.J. looked up at him with a smile.

"Nothing," she said, "Just girl talk, that's all."

"We'll you better stop talking unless you're ready to answer some questions," he said.

Alex tilted her head.

"I believe it's my turn?"

Duke just grunted.

"That was a yes," Alexis asked, "or a no."

He gestured to her.

"Get in the chair," he said.

Bruiser looked at C.J.

"What about her?"

"She can stay where she is for now," Duke said, "She might come in handy if this lady here doesn't give me the answers I want."

Alex glanced quickly at C.J. before sitting down in the chair. She leaned back as far as she could and tried to look much calmer than she felt.

"All right, what do you want to ask me?"

* * *

Matt and Brody listened to Sydney as she outlined what she thought they should do.

"If a couple of us could slip in the entrance and keep an eye on what's going on," she said, "Maybe we can contact the others and tell them what's the best way to move in."

Matt ran his hand through his hair.

"They tried that by putting a camera in with the Anchoves but it didn't work."

"Now hold on Matt," Brody said, "It wasn't a complete failure. We just got about three hours of uninterrupted footage of the bank lobby."

"No one's in the lobby Brody," Matt said.

Gage began pacing.

"It's too dangerous to slip someone inside," he said, "Dangerous for the hostages and dangerous for those people. What if they get discovered by Duke and his men?"

Matt looked grim.

"That's a chance we're going to have to take," he said, "Now I'm going in there. Who's game enough to go with me?"

Sydney put her hands on her hips.

"I was thinking of me and Gage."

"Well you see, I have a little problem with that," Matt said, "Now I know you're Texas Rangers and all that and I had one or two in my family years ago but I've got military recognizance and surveillance training when I worked intelligence and I know how to go into a situation and not get noticed."

Brody nodded.

"And I've worked undercover many times," he said, "Motorcycle gangs. Narcotics…even a stint in Vice as an exotic dancer."

Matt's brows raised and his weren't the only ones that did.

"You never told me about that," he said.

"It just hadn't come up yet," Brody said, "The perfect time to tell you."

Sydney looked at both of them.

"I still think I'm going in," she said, "I'm willing to accept Matt in deference to his background and training."

Matt nodded.

"And I'll be more than happy to take a Ranger with me."

Gage's face lit up.

"Now hold on Syd," he said, "You can't just waltz in that bank and expect no trouble."

Sydney looked at her partner.

"Gage, your concern is duly noted," she said, "but you and Brody have to keep in contact with us and with Walker."

"What about the feds," Gage said, "They're in charge."

Sydney sighed.

"Walker will have to deal with them," she said, "Not that he doesn't have his hands full."

"I still don't like this," Gage said, folding his arms.

Sydney stood nose to nose with him.

"You don't have to like it Gage," she said, "but I need your support on this. I need you to have our backs so we can all come out of this alive. Us and the hostages too."

He looked at her a long moment, emotions swimming on his face. Matt looked at the other man and saw something he recognized.

"We'll take care of each other in there," he said, "and we'll be just fine but we need your help."

Gage nodded reluctantly.

"I'll go up and contact Walker and tell him."

Sydney just nodded as he took off.

"He's awfully worried about you," Matt noted.

Sydney smiled a little bit.

"He's like an overprotective big brother sometimes."

Matt raised his brows, not seeing Gage as a brother but sensing that the Ranger's emotions for his partner ran much deeper. He wondered if Sydney knew that and whether or not she returned those feelings. Not that it was any of his business, but if that were the case, he hoped the pair realized much sooner than he had.

* * *

Walker waited by the mobile radio for Sydney or Gage to call him with an update on their surveillance operation in the underground tunnels. He hoped that the feds would keep their distance for a while, but every few minutes, Denton had sent one of his subordinates to inform him that the clock was ticking on the SWAT operation.

Jonathan walked over, after getting off of the phone. Walker looked up at him expectantly.

"I just got off the phone with my wife," he said, "She's settled nicely in our new home in Dallas."

Walker nodded.

"You'll find it a big change from D.C."

The federal agent laughed.

"I hope so," he said, "but I've worked all over and I grew up on a ranch in Colorado and Texas feels pretty good."

"And the FBI?"

Jonathan frowned.

"A much tougher fit than I thought it'd be," he said, "I thought the U.S. Marshal's office was political."

Suddenly Walker heard Gage's voice on the mobile radio amid a sea of static. He picked up the com.

"What is it Gage?"

"Sydney and Matt are thinking about going into the bank," Gage said, "They're going to need more support units."

Jonathan's eyes widened.

"What are they thinking of doing," he said, "Are they crazy?"

Walker put his hand up.

"Gage, are there any more details?"

Gage paused.

"They're going to find a place to hole up for a while to see what's going on, what we're up against and then they're going to find a way to communicate that back out."

"How will they do that without the robbers discovering them," Jonathan asked.

"Texting maybe," Gage said, "We're still working on that part."

"That's reassuring," Jonathan grumbled.

Walker told Gage to keep him posted on what was going on and before anyone went into the bank and then he turned to face Jonathan.

"Their plan is dangerous," Walker said, "But it's probably not as reckless as sending in a SWAT team when you don't know what's ahead of them."

"At least they're highly trained and experienced police officers," Jonathan pointed out.

Walker folded his arms.

"I trust my men and women," he said, "I've worked with them long enough to know they're the most qualified people out there to deal with this situation."

"But you've got civilians in the mix," Jonathan said, "not that Matt is an ordinary person."

"I was impressed by some of the work he's done in the past year or so," Walker said, "Gone against some pretty tough criminals."

Jonathan nodded.

"Keeping him on the sidelines when his fiancée is in trouble is just about damn impossible."

Walker suppressed a smile.

"Sometimes the same thing is true about Texas Rangers."

Jonathan appeared uneasy.

"Actually Agent Denton expressed concern that being involved in this rescue operation might be a conflict of interest for you since your wife is a hostage."

Walker didn't seem fazed by that revelation.

"I see…If he wants to kick me off, then I'll be down in those tunnels with Mr. Houston and my Rangers."

Jonathan grimaced.

"It's going to be bad enough when Denton finds out what your people are doing," he said.

"Are you going to report us?"

Jonathan looked at Walker for a while and then shook his head.

"No, I'm just going to tell you that you'd better get this right or you might be subpoenaed to testify for a fact-finding hearing in federal court if this all goes south."

Walker sighed, knowing that was a chance he was just going to have to take.

* * *

"So where's the pregnant woman?"

Alex looked up from where she sat at the two bank robbers.

"What pregnant woman?"

Bruiser looked at Duke.

"Are we going to have to go through this again boss?"

Duke's face hardened but then he smiled.

"Okay, so you're going to play that game too," he said.

"What game," Alex asked.

"We know that there was a woman who was pregnant," Duke said, "My partner here said that she was in labor and that one of you told him to notify me. But now, she's gone and your friend here doesn't seem to know anything about it."

Alex sighed.

"Didn't she go to the bathroom," she said, looking at C.J.

C.J. nodded.

"She might still be in there and maybe she had the baby," Alex said.

"We checked the bathrooms," Duke said, gritting his teeth, "and there were no pregnant women."

"Did you check the storage rooms," Alex said, "The other offices? Did you ask the men?"

Duke looked at Bruiser who nodded.

"Yes we did," Duke said, folding his arms, "and we know you two are just trying to mess with our heads."

Bruiser nodded.

"And she started it," he said, pointing to C.J.

C.J. looked confused.

"I told you what I know," she said, "but my memory could be hazy. I haven't eaten in hours."

Duke walked over and looked down at her. C.J. leaned harder against the wall but didn't break her gaze from his face.

"You're not eating," he said, "None of you are eating until we find that damn pregnant woman."

"She could have escaped," Bruiser reminded him.

Duke considered that again.

"If she did," he said, "We're going to force you to tell us how."

Alex shook her head.

"We don't know how," she said, "You're the ones who say that she's missing."

Duke looked like he wanted to hit her and C.J. winced. But he stepped back and put his fist back at his side and she breathed a sigh of relief. Alex looked at the two men calmly almost as if she were a parent looking at petulant children.

He leaned closer to Alex's face and she tried to gag from his noxious breath.

"If you tell us, we're going to start killing hostages," he said, "We can start with one right now."

C.J. and Alex looked at each other. He saw their expressions and laughed.

"Yes, we're going to do one right now," he said, "Go bring me back one of the woman. How 'bout that one who looks like a model?"

Bruiser nodded and left them.

"Now wait a minute here," Alex said, "You're supposed to be asking us some questions."

"I did that," he said, "and neither one of you will answer them. Now I'm going to have to kill someone and it's going to be on your heads."

C.J. stood up.

"Don't do it," she said, "There's no need to kill anyone."

He glared at her.

"We'll just see about that."

* * *

Matt and Sydney pried the siding back open wide enough so they could just barely slip inside. Gage walked up to them and told them that he had contacted Walker.

"He wants me to get back on the radio when you go in there," Gage said.

Sydney turned around and faced him.

"Then you better do it," she said, "because we're going in right now."

Gage nodded and after drinking from his water bottle, prepared to do that.

"Syd, be careful in there," he said, looking at her, "Don't take any unnecessary risks and stay out of trouble."

She nodded.

"Sure thing," she said, "Now let's go."

She and Matt slipped through the entrance into the bank.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27---Here's the latest installment in the cross-FF story. I hope you like it, thanks for reading and for the feedback!

* * *

Matt and Sydney crept into the bank through the entrance in the steam tunnel and after walking a few feet, they found themselves in the cramped closet inside the women's bathroom.

"It's too dark in here to see anything," she said.

They heard footsteps.

"Shhhh," Matt said.

They both stood there motionless listening.

"I told you there was no one in here Duke," Bruiser said as they checked the stalls again.

Matt and Sydney looked at each other hoping they weren't going to look inside the closet. Still, there was little they could do about that now except try to take out two probably armed men. And all they would have was a split second to do it once that door opened.

"Those women are just playing with our heads," Duke said, "They don't believe what comes out of their mouths."

"You think so boss?"

Duke sighed.

"Of course," he said, "They're stalling us and playing some sort of waiting game."

"What for?"

"Damned if I know," Duke said, "but when we go back in there, there will be no more games."

Matt and Sydney felt chilled at the tone of Duke's voice. The man may not be that bright but whatever he lacked in smarts, he more than made up for in craziness.

"Let's get out of here," Duke said and the two men left the bathroom silent again.

Inside the closet, Matt sighed.

"There's at least three bank robbers, all of them are armed and they might all be powder kegs like Duke there."

Sydney nodded.

"We're not going to have much time," she said, "but if the feds send SWAT in here, those robbers are going to kill as many hostages as they can."

* * *

Walker left the command station and headed towards the steam tunnels to meet with Gage. He had his misgivings about what his Rangers were going to do but didn't see any alternative. His wife was trapped inside there with some madmen who had been cornered and had become appropriately desperate in the process. The hours had ticked by and it must be dawning on the robbers that the authorities had no intentions of giving in to their demands. That there would be no negotiations with violent criminals.

"Walker…"

He turned around and saw his wife carrying Angela.

"You're not going to do anything that's really dangerous."

The concern laced in her voice matched that in her eyes and his resolve weakened.

"Nothing that's out of the ordinary for a day's work," he said, "That's all I can ever promise."

She nodded.

"Well come back in one piece Walker," she said, "It's Angela's first Christmas and I don't want her to have to remember it as the day she buried her father."

He grabbed them both and hugged them before he left.

Walker sighed at the memory. He had come back two days before Christmas a little dinged in the arm but none the worse for wear. He felt much better by the time the holiday rolled around and he got to spend it with his wife and daughter. Exhausted by night's end, he and Alex had watched Angela sleeping in her crib and had agreed they had never spent a more special holiday.

Angela had some more awareness of Christmas and Santa Claus this time around and they both wanted to make the upcoming holiday still nearly two months away even more memorable than the preceding one. Now, he had to put that thought out of his mind and make sure that he got Angela's mother out of the bank safely along with the other hostages. With that running through his mind, he climbed down in to the steam tunnels.

* * *

C.J. and Alex sat in the office waiting for the bank robbers to return, not knowing what fate awaited them. Would the men come in and shoot one of them or would they just ask more questions?

"I wonder what they're going to do," C.J. said.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Alex said, "Remember, we've got to keep them from finding the way out of here."

C.J. nodded.

"I'll do my best," she said, "I just hope it's not too much longer."

Alex looked at C.J. and noticed how tired she looked. None of them had slept that night and they had only eaten once, conditions difficult to impose on a pregnant woman. She took C.J.'s hand and squeezed it.

"Everything's going to be all right," she said, softly.

"I know," C.J. said, "I know that Houston and the others are doing everything they can do to get us out of here."

* * *

Matt and Sydney sat in the closet, waiting.

"We could be here for a while," she said, pulling out her water bottle.

"I wish we could get a closer look," he said.

She sighed.

"We'll have to take out at least one of them without the others noticing it first," she said, "and that's going to be difficult."

"Especially in the women's bathroom," Matt said, "We might have better luck in the men's room."

Sydney smiled despite herself.

"True," she said, "but I think they'll come back in here looking and if not, we'll think of a way."

"We don't have a lot of time," Matt said, "I only hope Walker was able to buy more time with the SWAT team."

Sydney nodded.

"Yeah, that Agent Denton seems to be eager to go," she said.

"You don't know the half of it."

She furrowed her brow.

"Yeah, you dealt with him on that trafficking case," she said, "I can only imagine how he acted then."

Matt shook his head.

"The thing that surprises me is how he and Jonathan ended up in the same uniform," he said, "Jonathan swore when he resigned from the Marshal's office that he'd never work for any government again."

"He's a good guy I think," she said, "He seems more reasonable anyway."

Matt agreed.

"We've had our differences but he's proven to be good at his job," he said, "It's too bad that he was surrounded by traitors and not just the ones who worked for Andre Duval."

Sydney's eyes rolled.

"There are bad apples in every law enforcement agency," she said, "Not to mention pencil pushing bureaucrats. I love my job but I can understand why he left."

"You work with good men though like Walker and Gage," Matt pointed out.

She nodded.

"Gage can be a pain in the rear but Walker's always been my mentor."

Matt smiled.

"He seems a bit taken with you," he said.

"Who Walker," Sydney said, and then her face flushed a little pink, "Oh you mean Gage."

Matt looked confused.

"You don't like him," he said, "I'm sorry I was under the impression…"

"Oh Gage is fine," she said, "He gets under my skin but he's one of the best in the business."

Matt noticed that her body language belied what she said. Having worked with military intelligence and later with investigating, he had grown very attuned to people's body language and often paid more attention to that than what people said, particularly when the two forms of communication didn't match. C.J. often told him he could make a career out of being a human lie detector.

He broached the subject carefully.

"Does he know how you feel about him?"

She turned to look at him.

"Feel about what," she said, and then reddened even more, "Look there's nothing between us. Really, nothing."

"You worked together a long time haven't you?"

"Well, yes."

"And sometimes you feel closer than being best friends…"

She looked at him shocked, feeling suddenly exposed. Her silence told Matt her answer.

"I know there's not much to do right now but can't we talk about something else?"

He looked down at his hands and when he looked up again, his eyes were serious.

"Don't wait too long to tell him how you feel whatever it is," he said, "Believe me I know what it's like to have waited too long."

She shook her head.

"But you're with her now, aren't you?"

He nodded.

"It took much longer than it had to," he said, "Life has a way of throwing obstacles in your path but you have to navigate through them but in the end, if you keep trying, things have a way of working out the way they should."

She looked at him.

"Well, okay…"

Matt put a hand on her arm.

"Shhh," he said, "I think someone's coming."

* * *

C.J. looked up as the door opened and Duke walked in the room where she and Alex sat waiting.

"We didn't find any pregnant woman," he said, sitting in a chair close to them, "and we also know you're holding out on us."

Alex shook her head.

"We told you everything that we know," she said, "You might as well just give it a rest and put it behind you."

He just looked at her incredulous, not being accustomed to women speaking back to him and now there were two of them. Wasn't he the one supposed to be in control here?

"Listen here," he said, "Which one of you wants to be the first to die?"

C.J. and Alex looked at each other, trying to hide their fear.

"Why would you want to kill anyone," C.J. said, forcing herself to smile, "Do you even know what it's like to take a life?"

Duke stammered as Bruiser walked in the room to join him. Duke hadn't even noticed.

"Of course I do," he said, "I'm a cold-blooded killer."

"I don't recollect reading anything in the news about you killing anyone," C.J. said and then turned to Alex, "Do you?"

Alex shook her head.

"No, he's just a two-bit robber like his friends," she said, "Never amounted to much."

C.J. turned to face Duke.

"I've killed a few men in my life," she said, "Mostly in self-defense and when a person has taken a life, they wear it on them so that it's easy to spot if you've been in their shoes and I don't see it when I look at you."

Duke's face seized up.

"You don't know squat about my life."

"I've pushed men off of cliffs, I've shot them and I've stabbed them," C.J. said, "including one man with a letter opener and then I stood over him and watched the life flow out of him with his blood all over the floor."

"Why aren't you in prison?"

She just stared at him.

"Because they are all bad guys like you," she said, "only much, much worse than you could ever be."

"I…I don't believe you," he said.

"Oh you had better believe it," she said, "I will never let a man get the upper hand on me again."

Bruiser nodded.

"She's right, boss," he said, "She's been through some serious stuff and she just killed a guy in Colorado not too long ago."

"For what?"

C.J. answered him.

"He had me on the ground and tried to strangle me," she said, "It was the last mistake he ever made."

"Yeah right," Duke muttered.

"No, it's true boss," Bruiser insisted, "It's a bloodbath wherever this woman goes."

The two robbers looked at each other then Duke shook his head vehemently.

"We're the ones with the guns here," he said, "and these women are our hostages and if the police don't give us what we want, they're going to die."

* * *

Matt and Sydney heard the women talking in the bathroom.

"Look Gloria," he heard Fran say, "You're just going to hang tight until they get us out of here."

"I can't…," the other woman said, "I am trying, really, but I'm just so scared."

Matt heard some exasperation beneath Fran's empathy.

"If we act calm, they'll act calm and then they'll let us go," Fran said.

"She's right Gloria," a third woman said, "After this is all over and done with, we'll be able to go home."

"Do you really think so?"

"I know so," Fran said, "I know some of the guys who are working on our rescue and I trust them. You should too."

He heard the door open and at least one woman leave. He turned to Sydney.

"I know that girl," he said, "Her name's Fran, she's as smart as a whip and we can trust her."

Sydney seemed doubtful.

"I don't know…"

"We need some inside help," Matt said.

She finally nodded and they opened the closet door slowly. Fran and the other woman, Missy turned around to look at them in shock.

* * *

After Duke and Bruiser had stomped out of the office to hold another conference in the hallway, Alex turned around to look at C.J. who was breathing hard.

"You really got them scared," she said.

"I don't think so," C.J. said, "I'm just hoping I bought us some more time."

"I don't think they know what to do at this point," Alex said, "They seem somewhat overwhelmed."

C.J. looked away.

"I didn't enjoy killing those men," she said, quietly.

"I know you didn't," Alex said, "It must have been difficult to survive some of the situations you've been through."

C.J. licked her lips.

"I just wanted to live so badly," she said, "I didn't want anyone to take that away from me."

Alex nodded.

"I think that's natural," she said, "I know that I've felt that way when anyone's threatened me or my family."

"I kept seeing my future or I guess what it could be and it was so wonderful," C.J. said, "That's what gave me the will to fight."

Alex smiled.

"I know what you mean," she said, "My husband once had a vision about Angela as a teenager when he thought she was dying."

"That must have been something."

"Of course she didn't die," Alex said, "Right after the vision ended, her vital signs quickly improved and she was passed the worst of it."

C.J. shook her head.

"We're so lucky to have both seen miracles happen," she said, hoping both would live to see this day end.

* * *

Fran's eyes widened as she looked at Matt and Sydney emerging from the closet.

"It's good to see you," she said as she hugged Matt.

"How are you doing," Matt asked, looking at her.

She shrugged.

"I'm doing great," she said, "There's a group of us in the office just outside the bathroom. I'm not sure where the men are being kept. We haven't seen them since the robbery."

"How is C.J. doing?"

Fran grimaced.

"They took her and that blond woman, Alex to another location," she said, "We haven't seen them since."

"Why did they do that?"

Fran bit her lip.

"They were furious when they discovered Chris was missing," she said, "I think they're trying to find out how she got away."

Matt ran his hand through her hair.

"They must be on the other side of the bank," he said, "We saw the floor plans earlier."

Sydney nodded.

"Probably is where the men are being kept too," she said, "This is going to be complicated."

Fran looked from one to the other.

"Are you going to get us out of here?"

Matt looked at her.

"We're going to our best."

She nodded.

"Let us know what we can do to help."

* * *

Walker and Gage stood near the entrance to the bank, wiping sweat off of themselves as they waited for any word.

"They've been in there nearly an hour," Gage said.

Brody walked up towards them.

"I think that the feds are getting itchy fingers," he said, "I don't know how much longer Jonathan can hold them off."

Walker turned towards him.

"I guess I'd better go talk to him again," he said, "and get him to find a leash to put on Agent Denton or those hostages are going to get killed."

Brody and Gage watched him as he walked through the tunnel until the steam surrounded him and he disappeared.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28--Here's the latest installment of this cross-fiction story. Hope you like it and thanks for the comments!

* * *

Walker waited in the mobile unit until Agent Denton walked out to give him an update on when they were sending their SWAT team into the bank. Jonathan entered into the room and poured himself a cup of coffee before joining Walker.

"So what's the story," Jonathan said, "or do I want to know."

Walker remained silent for a moment.

"I'm trying to buy more time," he said, "Matt and Sydney are inside the bank somewhere."

Jonathan's brows lifted.

"Hopefully staying out of sight," he said, "If those robbers see them…"

Walker sighed.

"They won't," he said, "I trust my Ranger in there. She's one of the best in the department."

Jonathan put his hand up.

"They should have waited."

"For what," Walker said, "For the SWAT team to storm into a bank and trigger a shootout with the robbers with the hostages caught in the middle?"

"I understand how you feel Walker," Jonathan said, "but Matt and your Ranger could trigger those men to start shooting too. They've been holed up inside that bank for over 12 hours now and anything can set them off."

Walker nodded. He couldn't really disagree with the federal agent's assessment after reading their prison files.

"We'll just have to keep it from coming down to that," he said, "I know my wife is in there doing whatever she can do to keep those robbers calm and from hurting anyone."

Jonathan rubbed his forehead.

"C.J.'s probably trying to figure a way out of there," he said, "She's pretty determined when you get down to it and she's survived worse."

* * *

Alex and C.J. sat in the office drinking some water that they managed to scrounge up after Duke and Bruiser had left. The two men were either out in the hallway still arguing or looking for Chris. In the meantime, the two women had decided to sit back and relax as much as they could do so considering the circumstances. C.J. felt nauseous and she wasn't sure whether it was because she was hungry or from being pregnant.

"I'm sorry I can't find any crackers for you," Alex said, "I know how bad those first few months can be."

C.J. smiled gamely.

"I'm really okay," she said, "It's not as bad as it has been."

"It will get better," Alex said, "In a few weeks, you'll forget you ever felt sick in the mornings."

C.J. sipped from her water bottle.

"I hope so," she said, "I'm going to be piled up with cases by then."

"So you're getting a lot of referrals from the federal agencies?"

C.J. shrugged.

"Some. More than when I started, but with this latest case putting us on opposite sides…"

Alex looked at her.

"I know you're doing what's best for your client," she said, "You don't want anything to happen to her."

C.J. looked away.

"She's already had the worst happen to her," she said, "But this whole process of using her to nail the drug traffickers just victimizes her all over again."

"She's the only one who can testify against these guys," Alex pointed out.

"Maybe," C.J. said, "but if she's too traumatized to say anything even on the stand, you won't get much that's going to help with your prosecution."

Alex digested that. She knew that C.J. spoke the truth, even if she didn't like it. She wanted to nail those traffickers to the wall for all the crimes they had committed, but she wanted to send them to prison for what they had done to Alisha too.

"You testified about what happened to you," Alex said, "Several times."

C.J. rubbed her eyes.

"It took me awhile before I could even think of doing it," she said, "but then it took months to put the cases together and that gave me some time."

"We have resources to help Alisha get to the place where she can testify," Alex said, "Victim-Witness can refer her to psychological counseling services."

"That will help," C.J. said, "but it's not enough. Alisha has no family to look after her and support her during her ordeal and she's got no roots to put down and start over."

"She might end up in witness relocation," Alex said.

"That makes it a lot harder," C.J. said, "I know in my case it was necessary and I went to them for help but I couldn't even begin to deal with how I was feeling while I was living as someone else."

"She'll be worse off if she doesn't get that help."

"She's in such a bad place right now Alex, she won't see it that way," C.J. said, "and I know what that's like too. And she's got a baby coming, a baby with a father that her testimony will put away for a long time."

Alex felt her eyes sting. She couldn't help herself, feeling really sad about what Alisha had faced even though professionally, her job as a prosecutor was to get her ready to testify on behalf of her employer.

"What's she going to do with her baby?"

C.J. sighed.

"She doesn't know," she said, "But then she hasn't had time to think about it."

"She's due soon isn't she?"

C.J. nodded.

"And she's too frightened by that to talk about it," she said, "I felt like that when I thought I might be pregnant."

Alex's eyebrows rose. C.J. saw her reaction.

"I thought I might be pregnant with Duval's child and I was all alone in a strange place with people I didn't really know, pretending to be some other woman," C.J. said.

"What did you do," Alex asked.

"I bought a test and used it," C.J. said, "I prayed I wasn't and that turned out to be the case. I don't know what I would have done otherwise. I always wanted children but not like that."

"That must have been very difficult," Alex said, "Alisha's lucky to have someone in her corner who understands how much."

"I didn't talk about it for a really long time," C.J. said, "and I had people around me who cared. Alisha doesn't really have that."

Alex paused and then smiled.

"She has you."

* * *

Matt and Sydney remained in the cramped closet after their run-in with Fran. She had listened as Matt told her that he probably would need her help as soon as he figured out their game plan. After their discussion, she and Missy had returned to the office.

"So you know Fran," Sydney said, looking at her watch.

"I met her when I was looking for C.J. in Arizona when she ran into some crooked cops and politicians running a prostitution ring."

Sydney nodded.

"I think I read about that," she said, "Wasn't Andre Duval involved in that too?"

Matt nodded.

"C.J. never saw him," he said, "but Fran and some of the other ladies did. And Semour Piser worked for Duval for years. In fact, that's how he got furloughed from prison not long after being sentenced for what happened in Bannon County."

Sydney shook her head.

"There are crooked people anywhere," she said, "even in my profession. There's no really easy way to prevent or stop it. Even to recognize it most of the time."

"You sound like you're speaking from experience," Matt said.

"Yes I am," Sydney said, "but I've been luckier than most. I haven't seen enough crooked behavior to jade me on the profession yet."

"I wish I was that lucky," Matt said, "I've had friends who are ex-cops now because they were burned trying to do the right thing. Some of them even work for me."

Sydney smiled.

"That must be interesting," she said, "I never thought of going into that line of work myself."

Matt nodded.

"Because you love what you do," he said, "and you're where you want to be."

Sydney couldn't disagree with that.

* * *

Gage sipped his water bottle and tried to pour some on a handkerchief to wash his reddened face. Brody looked at him.

"You need to get out of here," he asked.

Gage shook his head.

"If you can stand it, I certainly can."

Brody chuckled.

"If you say so," he said, "It's just that your face is so pink and you don't look like the blushing rose type."

"I'm not," Gage said, "and we're trained to handle these tough conditions."

"I'm sure you are," Brody said, "Your partner's pretty tough."

"Oh Sydney," Gage said, "She's tougher than nails."

"You've been working together for a while?"

Gage nodded, while rubbing the dampened cloth against the back of his neck.

"Several years," he said, "Walker put us together. At first we didn't get along really well but then we got to know and trust each other."

"And you trust her…"

Gage stared at Brody, wondering what he was getting at.

"Yes I do," he said, "I'd trust her with my life."

"It's important to have a partner that you trust," Brody said, "That's how it's with me and Matt. I've been working with him for a while and I'd rely on him better than most cops."

Gage frowned.

"Didn't you have a great career in the LAPD?"

"I did," Brody said, "and it was very exciting and rewarding work, but sometimes it's harder to trust each other with all the politics and game playing that goes on in any police department."

"So you left…"

"After I thought it out for a while and had a backup plan," Brody said, "and I've never regretted it since."

* * *

C.J. and Alex sat and waited, wondering what had happened to the two men. Had they found the passage way into the steam tunnels? Were they setting a trap for anyone who might use it to come into the bank?

"I wonder what they're up to," C.J. said.

Alex harrumphed.

"They're probably fighting," she said, "The tension between them is so thick…"

"I noticed that," C.J. said, "but I think Duke is still the alpha dog in this operation and he's not budging from that position."

"You've been driving them crazy talking back to them," Alex said.

C.J. shrugged.

"I'm just trying to confuse them and mess with their heads a bit," she said, "I don't know if I'm making any dent."

"I think so."

"I know that Houston and the others are trying everything they can to help us," C.J. said, "And we need to buy them that time they need."

Alex sighed.

"It's going to be harder if they come on back and start questioning us again," she said, "We need to have a plan."

C.J. ran her hand through her hair.

"I know and I can't think of one."

Suddenly, the door opened and the two men came inside. Alex and C.J. just looked up at them.

* * *

Matt and Sydney listened for noise coming from the bathroom but didn't hear anything. He stood up in the cramped space and stretched his arms.

"It's pretty hard to sit still in here," Sydney said.

"I'm trying to think what we can do," Matt said, "If they divided all the hostages up and stashed them in different places, it's going to be harder to help them."

"We don't know where Alex and C.J. are," Sydney pointed out, "If we aren't careful, we could put them at greater risk."

"if they're bearing the brunt of us getting Chris and her baby out of there, then it might be too late soon," Matt said, "I'm not waiting until something happens."

Sydney raised her hands.

"I understand that and how concerned you are," she said, "but we have to be very careful how we handle this situation."

Matt agreed.

"It's pretty volatile in there right now," he said, "and I don't want it to get any worse."

"Then we've got to be patient and wait for the right moment," Sydney said.

* * *

C.J. and Alex looked up at Duke and Bruiser as they walked into the room.

"Do you have any more questions for us," C.J. asked.

The two men looked at each other.

"No we're finished with the questions," Duke said, "We've decided to start killing hostages if we call the police right now and they don't give us what we want."

C.J. tried to suppress her fear.

"You've got to be patient," she said, "Those demands you gave them. They take time."

Duke shook his head.

"We've given them all the time they've needed," he said, "Now it's time to either put up or we'll start killing hostages one by one. "

Bruiser folded his arms.

"And we'll start with one of you first," he said, "We're getting tired of listening to you."

"If you kill anyone else, they'll send you to the gas chamber," Alex warned, "or they won't wait and they'll storm the place and kill you."

Duke shrugged.

"We've already killed a guard so they've got enough to hang us already," he said, "and if they are going to come in, we've got nothing to lose."

"Wait boss," Bruiser said, "We've got the $4 million. I don't want to die until I'm an old man lying out in the sun on some tropical island somewhere."

Duke just looked at him.

"Don't be such an idiot," he said, "If they shoot us dead, we'll never get to spend the money and if they're going to do that anyway, I'm going to make sure I take some hostages with me."

Bruiser nodded but didn't seem too sure.

"Okay boss," he said, "We'd better call them and see where we stand and if they don't give us what we asked for, then I'll shoot the first one."

Duke nodded and picked up the phone as Alex and C.J. watched.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29---Here's the latest chapter of this FF story. Hope you like it and thanks for the comments!

* * *

Both C.J. and Alex focused on Duke as he punched the numbers on the phone to get back in touch with the law enforcement agencies to find out how much time it would be before they gave him what he wanted. Both women knew that the involved agencies had no intention of honoring his demands. They were only buying time to come up with a plan to liberate the hostages and apprehend the robbers, not necessarily in that order.

They watched as Duke waited for a response, while pacing in the office. All they could was watch and hope that whoever answered on the other end didn't say something to send him and the other robbers off in a shooting rampage. They knew that the nerves of the robbers especially Duke's were frayed to the point they could snap at any moment. And if that happened, lives could be lost long before the agencies sent in its people to rescue them.

"I don't know what they're going to say to him," C.J. said, "We both know they're not getting what they want."

"They're going to get killed if they don't surrender," Alex said, "That's what often happens in sieges that run this long."

C.J. shook her head.

"It's not going to work well for us if they send commandos in here," she said, "They might get the robbers but how many hostages will pay the price?"

Alex sighed.

"If they don't do anything, hostages are going to die anyway," she said, "These men are losing it. Look at Duke pacing like that and if he falls apart, the other ones will right after like dominoes set up in a row."

"You sound like you're experienced in this area," C.J. said, "This isn't my first time being held hostage but it's my first bank robbery."

"They're all different," Alex said, "At least every case I've been involved in whether I've prosecuted it or been caught in the middle like now."

* * *

Walker watched Denton closely after he saw him pick up the phone. The federal agent looked angry and gestured a couple others including Jonathan over to stand with him. That's when Walker knew something definitely was up. He moved closer to where all three of them standing, pouring himself more of the dreadful coffee while listening. It became clear soon enough that Denton had been contacted by the bank robbers who were no doubt eager to find out when their demands would be met.

"You haven't given us enough time," Denton said, into the phone, "We're still working on your list."

"Bull shit," Duke said, angrily, "Stop feeding us those tired lines. You'd think we were amateurs you were dealing with or fools."

"Now now Duke," Denton said, "We know you're pros at this kind of thing and so am I but some of the men and women I work with…"

Walker rolled his eyes when he heard those words. Did Denton really think Duke was going to buy into it and besides, the last thing a negotiator wanted to do was undersell his own muscle.

"Don't give me that crap," Duke barked, "I want my demands met and I want them met now. I'm not giving you anymore time. I'll start killing hostages right now."

"That wouldn't be good strategy on your part Duke," Denton said, "You'd be throwing your bargaining chips away and we'd have no choice but to storm the bank. You know we have the fire power and the man power to come and get you that way."

Duke didn't flinch.

"That may be," he said, "But we see any signs of you coming in the bank, we'll definitely start killing hostages."

Walker glanced over at Denton and saw him frown and knew the call wasn't going well. He shook his head, wondering how the rangers were doing inside the bank and the steam tunnels. He found himself thinking of his wife and wondering how she was holding up even though he tried hard not to, to put her out of his mind. If he was going to help her and the other hostages at all, he would have to focus on remaining professionally focused on the challenge at hand.

* * *

Matt and Sydney remained inside the cramped closet, breathing in the stifling air. He felt sweat bead on his brow and reached for his water bottle to take another sip. She looked at him.

"It could be worse," she said, "We could be out with Gage and your partner in the steam tunnel."

He grimaced.

"That's like taking the heat and humidity of a Houston summer and multiplying it ten times," he said.

Suddenly they heard a woman come in the bathroom.

"It's me," she said, "Are you still there?"

Matt stood up, easing the ache in his muscles from holding his position so long.

"That's Fran," he said, "I'm going to talk to her."

Sydney nodded.

"Be careful."

Matt stepped outside the closet and saw Fran by herself.

"What's going on," she asked.

"We don't know," Matt said, "We've been cut off from the others for about an hour. They must be topside."

"Everyone's getting scared again," Fran said, "They were when it started but people calmed down for a while but now no one knows what to expect and some women are giving up."

"They're going to have to hold on just a while longer," Matt said, "We're trying to come up with a plan."

She folded her arms.

"You or the cops outside?"

He ran his hand through his hair.

"Both," he said, "Only we're not on the same page yet."

"What does that mean," she asked, apprehension in her voice.

"It means that the SWAT team is planning on rushing the bank robbers in a little while," Matt said, "but other people like Walker and his Rangers and maybe Jonathan…"

"Rhonda's Jonathan?"

Matt nodded.

"He's here with other FBI agents," he said, "You're going to have to trust that we're going to get you all out of here."

Fran sighed and then nodded.

"I do," she said, "Whenever you've asked me to trust you, you've never let me down going back to Bannon County."

"It's going to be okay," Matt said, "I need you to tell the other women that."

"C.J. and Alex," she said, "I haven't seen them in a while since they were moved."

Matt looked away.

"I'm going to find them," he said, "and then we're getting everyone out of here."

She rubbed her eyes.

"I can't stop thinking about getting out of here and seeing Carlos and my babies," she said.

He rubbed her shoulder.

"He's here outside waiting for you," he said, "The children are with their abuela."

She smiled, fighting against her tears.

* * *

C.J. watched Duke arguing on the phone and wondered what would happen when he finished talking to the police outside. Would he take out his anger on the hostages? She realized that he was reaching the end of his ability to function rationally with each minute that passed.

"He's really going to lose it," she said.

Alex looked at Duke and nodded.

"They didn't have their heads straight when this started," she said, "It's only gotten worse since then."

C.J. closed her eyes.

"How are you feeling," Alex said.

"I'm okay," C.J. said, "Just tired and a little woozy."

"You haven't anything in a while," Alex said, "That's probably why you don't feel well."

C.J. shrugged.

"None of us have had anything to eat."

Alex smiled at the other woman's nonchalant attitude.

"I don't think any of the other women are pregnant," she said, "Your body's using a lot of energy right now to take care of that little one so you need to get some food."

C.J. sighed.

"Maybe we could buy some time and tell them we're all hungry," she said, "I'm not sure they'll order us some more pizza but maybe something just to tide people over."

"I don't know if they want us well fed because then we might resist," Alex said, "but we can try."

Bruiser saw them talking and walked over.

"Too much talking going on here," he said, "You need to shut your mouths."

Alex shook her head.

"My, you're touchy," she said, "When's the last time you ate anything?"

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"What's it to you?"

Alex smiled.

"Nothing but the hostages haven't eaten either and I'm sure they're all hungry," she said, "Maybe you should think about getting some more food."

He folded his arms.

"We're not going to be keeping you much longer," he said, "Either we'll release you or you'll be dead depending on whether or not we get what we want."

"There's still some time for a snack," Alex said, "You look like your blood pressure's gone up and your blood sugar has plunged."

Bruiser looked uncertain.

"How would you know?"

"She can tell just by looking at you," C.J. said, "You look terrible."

He frowned.

"I suppose I could talk to Duke about getting something to eat," he said.

C.J. nodded.

"That would be great," she said, "Thank you."

Duke hung up the phone and walked over to the women.

"What's going on here," he demanded.

Alex and C.J. looked up at him.

"He's telling us that he's going to check with you to see if you can get us all some food to eat," C.J. said.

Duke glared at Bruiser.

"What," he said, "We're not going to stay here long enough to eat more food."

Bruiser perked up.

"Did you get good news from the cops?"

Duke's eyes darkened.

"They're stalling us," he said, "I gave them an hour and then we kill the first hostage. And we'll start with one of these women."

C.J. and Alex looked at each other.

"But Duke," Bruiser said, "If you do that, they'll send in the commandos and kill us."

"That's a chance we're going to have to take," Duke said, "I'm not going to let their defiance of our demands to go unanswered."

"But we're outgunned," Bruiser protested.

Duke looked at Bruiser suspiciously.

"Are you saying that you're not going to follow through with this to the end?"

Bruiser laughed nervously.

"I thought the end would be us kicking back in the tropics sitting on a pile of cash," he said, "Not holed up inside of the bank babysitting a bunch of hostages waiting for the police to come in and shoot us."

"We can still get out of this with the money," Duke insisted, "There might just have to be some blood shed along the way."

Bruiser paled.

"Whatever you say boss," he said.

* * *

Sydney sighed as she looked at her watch. Matt looked at her.

"Don't tell me, patience isn't one of your virtues."

"It's been something I've worked very hard on lately," Sydney said, "Gage is always keeping me in check."

"Oh I got the impression he was one of the things you had to figure out how to be patient with," he said.

She sighed.

"Maybe," she said, "but he does drive me crazy. I guess part of why is because I care about him more than I admit."

"Nothing wrong with that," Matt said, "as long as you're honest about it."

"To myself or him?"

"Both," Matt said, "But sometimes it's harder to be honest with yourself."

She smiled.

"Are you speaking from experience?"

He looked at her and nodded.

"I'm happy with my life now," he said, "but I wish I could have admitted what I know now earlier than I did."

She narrowed her eyes.

"What would you change," Sydney said, "if you could."

Matt paused.

"I thought for a long time it would be every bad thing that ever happened to the woman I love and I still feel that way sometimes," he said, "but I realize you can't change the past, you can just use it to build a new life."

Sydney nodded.

"I know what you mean," she said, "but it's not the same with Gage and me."

Matt looked confused.

"He seems pretty taken with you," he said.

Sydney's face flushed a bit.

"I don't even know why I'm discussing this with you," Sydney said, "We barely know each other."

Matt nodded.

"That might be true," he said, "but we're also two people engaging in a waiting game in a cramped closet and we're trying to get our minds off people we care about inside this bank so we can do our job."

"We have to have a plan," Sydney said, "and we don't and now we're cut off."

"I think I've got an idea," Matt said.

* * *

Gage paced back in the steam tunnel after they had gone topside for a while to get away from the oppressive conditions for a while.

"Stop doing that," Brody said, "You're making me nervous."

Gage just glared at him.

"We've lost contact with Sydney and your friend," he said, "We don't know what's happened to them."

"I trust my friend," Brody said, "I think he's got a plan and if he needs our help, he'll find some way to let us know."

"If they get captured…"

"Matt's able to handle anything," Brody said, "and you said you have faith in your partner Sydney…"

Gage nodded.

"I think she's the best in the business," he said, "I wouldn't work with anyone else."

Brody's radar picked up something in the Ranger's voice.

"You really care about her," he said.

Gage frowned, reaching for a water bottle.

"Of course I do," he said, "What kind of question is that?"

Brody shrugged.

"No, I don't mean professionally," he said, "I think it's personal with you two."

Gage shook his head.

"We're not involved if that's what you mean," he said.

That didn't faze Brody.

"Was that your idea or hers?"

Gage glared at him.

"Both," he said, "We don't want our professional partnership to be jeopardized by any romantic relationship."

Brody nodded.

"That can be a very wise philosophy but sometimes the heart gets in the way," he said, "I learned that being a cop."

Gage narrowed his eyes.

"Did you marry a cop?"

Brody shook his head.

"No," he said, "My wife was a professional dancer before she settled down with me and had my children."

"That's nice," Gage said, "but that doesn't have anything to do with me and Sydney."

Brody's smile looked innocent.

"Of course," he said, "why would you ask a question like that?"

* * *

C.J. watched as the robbers left the room again.

"What, are they having another conference out in the hallway?"

Alex sighed.

"Hopefully they'll decide to get us more food," she said, "Maybe that will get their minds off of killing us."

"I hope so," C.J. said, "I don't anyone to get hurt."

"We'll find a way to stop them," Alex said, "We've kept them from finding about how Chris and her baby got out."

C.J. smiled.

"Now there's a happy story," she said, "Chris wanted to have a baby for so long but she had medical problems when she got pregnant during the second trimester. She never really thought it would happen."

"Good for her and her husband," Alex said.

The two men returned followed by a third, Harley.

"I told you man they're standing right outside the donut shop across the street," Harley said, breathlessly.

Duke turned around.

"I've got everything under control here," he said, "They're just trying to get us to panic. It's called playing mind games or something like that."

Bruiser nodded.

"How many did you see," Duke asked.

"About 15 of them wearing heavy armor," Harley said.

"Damn," Duke said, "I guess it's time to show the police how serious we are then."

The three of them turned to look at C.J. and Alex.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30--- here's the latest chapter in this cross-FF story. I hope you like it and thanks for the feedback and the patience. October turned out to be busier than I thought!

* * *

C.J. looked up at the three men, and tried to keep the fear from permeating through her. The bank robbers were clearly upset at the police for doing nothing more than stalling them on their list of demands. She hoped that they hadn't reached the point where they would start killing people but the expressions on their faces didn't leave her feeling too hopeful. Alex looked at her and tried to smile but they soon focused their attention back on the agitated men.

Duke started pacing.

"I'm going to have to show them we mean business," he said, "which means we'll have to shoot someone."

Harley and Bruiser looked less than thrilled. They knew what would happen if the police including the SWAT team members heard the gunshots from inside; they would rush the building.

"Boss, they'll kill us for sure if we do that," Bruiser said, "They got more men and more firepower…"

Duke spun around and Bruiser almost ducked, believing he was going to get pummeled. He knew from experience both on the outside and in the joint that it didn't take much to send Duke flying off the handle. Sometimes, it was one word, or the wrong person pushing his buttons. Just fighting in prison had sent Duke into solitary so many times that the correctional officers and inmates alike had lost count.

"Listen," Bruiser said, "If we start shooting people we're going to play into their hands. They want us dead 'cause the way they see it, that will mean fewer robbers."

Bruiser looked to Harley for support but Harley had barely spoken more than a few words since the robbery siege began. He had a feeling that at this point, Harley almost wanted to go back to prison. Duke however made it clear that wasn't the ending that he had envisioned while spending that time locked away in solitary confinement.

"Shut the fuck up," he shouted," How can I think with your jabbering? We've got a plan to get the money and get out of here and if we have to kill some hostages…"

"Boss…"

Duke shook a finger in his face.

"Not another word…"

C.J. looked at Alex.

"Who's winning?"

Alex shrugged.

"Duke's crazy," she said, "So much so that maybe his accomplices are seeing it."

"Still, even if it's two against one, Duke's still going to kill people if it comes to that," C.J. said.

Alex nodded.

"That could happen pretty soon if things keep going the way they are right now," she said, "I hope whoever's planning to end this siege comes up with a plan soon and puts it into action."

C.J. hoped so too. Her muscles ached along with her head and she felt dizzy, no doubt from not having eaten for hours. She thought about the life that awaited her just outside the walls of the bank and wasn't about to let even hardened bank robbers keep her away from it.

"I'm not accepting anything but getting out of here," she said.

"Me neither," Alex said, "but if there's no rescue coming, we've got to come up with a plan."

Duke spun around again and stuck his face in theirs.

"Shut up," he said, "We're having a discussion here and I can't think with your jabbering."

Alex looked straight at him.

"The only thing you should be talking about is how you plan to surrender," she said, "You'll never get out of here alive otherwise."

Some blood vessels throbbed on Duke's face.

"Then neither will you."

C.J. pulled her hair back, her mind thinking.

* * *

"So what's your plan," Sydney asked Matt inside the cramped closet.

"I'm thinking that we've got to get them out of here which means putting those bank robbers out of commission," Matt said.

Sydney's eyes widened as she turned her head to look at him.

"You're not serious," she said, "There's only two of us."

"If we wait for the Calvary, no one's getting out of here alive including the hostages," Matt said.

"You don't know that," Sydney countered.

"Those men have been holed up in this bank for hours, their original pun shot up to hell no pun intended and they know that when SWAT comes in, it will be with guns blasting," Matt said.

"But we need more people to even think of trying anything like this," Sydney said, "We need to tell Walker."

"We might not have time," Matt said, "Besides, it's hard enough to reach Gage and Brody in the tunnels, let alone Walker in the Mobile Command Station."

"I still think we need to enlist their help," Sydney said, "Those robbers will start killing hostages if they know we're even near here."

Matt adjusted his body position.

"Then we'll make sure they don't know," he said.

He stood up and Sydney using the wall to brace herself, got up as well.

"So you're just going to walk on out there and go off like a Rambo."

He looked at her.

"You like action films," he asked, "No, that wasn't the plan. I was planning on sneaking up on them."

Sydney chuckled in a humorless way.

"Oh thanks for telling me that," she said, "Otherwise I might have started to worry."

He smiled at her.

"That's good to know because my plan depends on you not panicking and giving us away," Matt said.

Sydney struggled to keep her temper.

"You're crazy," she said, folding her arms.

"No, I'm just not willing to stand around while the hostages get killed," he said.

She touched his arm.

"Look, I know you're worried about your girlfriend," she said.

"Fiancée," he corrected.

"Okay, I can understand that because Alex is like family to us," Sydney said.

"Then you'll help me instead of arguing about it," Matt said, "Fran should be coming back soon with more information about exactly who is where."

"And put herself in danger?"

"Fran's one of the toughest and most resourceful women you'll ever meet," Matt said, "She's more than capable of helping us and she's willing."

Sydney frowned.

"I don't like this."

"You don't have to like this. I don't like being cramped inside of a closet while the woman I love is being held hostage by bank robbers but this is where we're at and I'm trying to better our odds at getting them out," he said, "Are you willing to help me?"

She looked at him a long while then nodded slowly.

"Count me in," she said, hoping she wasn't about to make a serious mistake.

* * *

Walker set his jaw as he put down his coffee. He headed towards the trailer door of the mobile response unit. Jonathan saw him and walked towards him.

"Where are you going," he asked.

Walker turned around and faced him.

"I'm going to meet up with Gage and find out if there's an update," he said, "What's Agent Denton's time line?"

Jonathan sighed.

"The same as before," he said, "He's going in with the entire response team and taking those robbers out."

"And the hostages will be caught in the middle of any firefight that we both know is going to happen," Walker said.

Jonathan knew that the Ranger hadn't asked him a question but had simply pointed out the likely outcome of any SWAT operation into such a volatile situation. He couldn't disagree with his assessment but after the mayor of Houston delivered yet another press conference assuring the viewing audience that a swift resolution was in sight, the operation had moved another step forward.

"The response team will take great care that any casualties are minimal," Jonathan said.

"You don't sound very convincing," Walker said, as they both walked, "When this is over, you'll get to go home to your wife in Dallas but what about your friend Matt and his fiancée?"

"And you and your wife," Jonathan finished for him.

Walker didn't even want to imagine what would be happening if Alex didn't make it out of this situation alive. How would he explain it to their daughter Angela that her mother wouldn't be coming home ever again? He couldn't even find the words even at the thought that their child would grow up never knowing or even remembering the mother who loved her.

He shook that vision out of his mind and the two men continued walking.

* * *

"What are you thinking," Alex asked C.J.

The robbers had left the office again and continued their argument outside of their presence. Neither woman missed them.

"There's only three of them," C.J. said.

"I think so," Alex said, "These are the only three I remember since it began."

C.J. sighed.

"I wish there was some way we can get the upper hand on them," she said.

Alex smiled.

"I think we already have that on the intelligence scale," she said, "These men are mindless brutes."

C.J. furrowed her brow.

"They are, aren't they," she said, "They're reacting to anything that happens. They don't even have a plan now if they ever did."

"They're still very armed and very dangerous," Alex said, "We can't forget that."

C.J. knew that was true but surely there were ways to try to gain some advantage.

"In an hour or so, the police are going to send a commando force in," she said, "and the hostages are going to be in the middle of it especially if the robbers fight back."

"Which we know they will," Alex finished, "They don't want to be taken alive. Duke's said as much more than once."

C.J. paused.

"I know this is a bad situation we're in," she said, "but I've known worse and gotten through those experiences much worse than these ones"

Alex nodded.

"Me too," she said, "I'm not about to let these brutes get the better of me."

C.J. agreed with her. She had spent the past year or so rebuilding her life after the kidnapping and its aftermath and had reached a place where she had felt like if she wasn't the same woman she had been before, she was happier with her life. In part because it had taken such a struggle to get there, climbing out of the darkness. She rested her hands still scarred from that journey on her abdomen, where life had taken root from an act of love and started to grow.

"I'm not going to let them hurt my baby."

* * *

Matt listened and heard footsteps coming into the bathroom again. He and Sydney looked at each other.

"It's me, Matt," Fran said from the other side of the closet.

He opened it slowly and saw her standing by the sink.

"Did you find out anything," he asked.

"C.J. and Alex are being held on an office on the other side," she said, "and across from there is where they're holding the men."

Matt nodded.

"We've got a plan but we're going to need your help," he said.

"You've got it," Fran said, "What is it?"

Matt started to talk but then the bathroom door opened and he slipped back into the closet carefully closing the door behind him.

Fran looked up into Harley's face and smiled, keeping her hands clenched at her sides.

"What's going on here," he demanded.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31---The latest chapter of this cross-FF story is up. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy it and thanks for the comments!

* * *

She lay back in bed, trying to quell the nausea as she watched Matt bring her the morning newspaper.

"You feeling okay," he asked after handing it to her.

She sat up and flipped through it, her dark hair covering her face as she found the article. Matt looked over her shoulder to read it.

"I'm fine," she said, "It looks like this case is going to get more coverage now that it's going to court."

He sat beside her and she heard the bed springs creak.

"That was bound to happen," he said, "Major drug lord and his underage girlfriend testifying for the government."

She sighed.

"She might be testifying for the feds," C.J. said, "She's staying in protective custody until that decision's made."

"It looks like this new federal prosecutor is determined to put this guy away," Matt said.

C.J. brushed her hair back.

"I hope she does," she said, "I just don't want it to be at Alisha's expense and it will be, unless her safety is a primary consideration."

"I don't think anyone wants anything to happen to her," Matt said, "The feds know that if anything happens to her, their case will go with her."

C.J. grew thoughtful for a while and Matt knew this case had really tested her in different ways.

"You need to get some breakfast before you go to court this morning," he said, getting up, "I'll make some omelets."

C.J. hedged.

"Maybe some cereal this morning," she said, "I think it's nerves."

He looked at her, nodding.

"She isn't sure she wants the baby," C.J. said, suddenly.

Matt turned around.

"What do you mean?"

"She might put it up for adoption when it's born," she said, "She doesn't want it to grow up stigmatized because of its parents and how it was conceived."

Matt walked back towards her and sat on the bed.

"It's her decision," he said, gently, "Only she can make it."

"I know," she said, "I keep wondering what I would have done if it had been me."

Matt knew she was thinking of the days after she had escaped Andre when she had been worried that she had become impregnated as a result of the rapes. He took her hand in his own.

"Whatever you decided," he said, "I would have supported you no matter what."

She smiled slightly at his words and leaned against him.

"I don't know what I would have decided," she said, "I always wanted children but every time I looked at my baby, I would have been reminded of what his or her father did to me. For a little child to be faced with that..."

He stroked her hair.

"You would have done what you needed to do," he said, "I think you need to have faith in that like I have in you. Like Alisha has in you to help her through what she's going through."

"I never had to make that decision," she said, "But Alisha does and she has no one."

"She has you," Matt said, "Someone who understands better than anyone else what she's going through."

* * *

C.J. sat in the office inside the bank as she had during the past couple hours while three bank robbers discussed the fate of her and the other hostages hardly out of earshot. She rubbed her stomach and thought how differently things were now, with pregnancy being an eagerly awaited event rather than something to fear. She knew Alisha struggled with the decision of what to do about her reminder of her volatile relationship with the drug lord currently in custody awaiting trial. But she knew that Matt had been right, in that it had to Alisha's decision what to do.

"I think they're still talking out there," Alex said.

C.J. looked up as Alex tossed her a bag of pretzels.

"I rustled these up," she said, "They should help your stomach for a while."

"Thanks," C.J. said, opening the bag, "Want some?"

Alex sat beside her on the floor and grabbed a few.

"I'm really hungry," Alex said, "I'm supposed to be too scared to want food but it's been hours."

"I don't know what's going on," C.J. said, "I don't think they know what to do."

"How are you holding up," Alex asked.

"I'm fine," C.J. said, "I want to get out of here and soak in a hot bath."

"That's what I'm going to do when I get home," Alex said, "After Walker cooks up some of his barbecue of course. I think I'll eat it right in the tub."

C.J. chuckled.

"Houston likes to barbecue," she said, "We haven't had much time. He was going to hold one for some friends when he returned from L.A."

"That sounds great," Alex said, "I think he'll want to celebrate the news about the baby."

"I know he'll be happy," C.J. said, "He'll wish his daddy lived to see his first grandchild but I think he'll know."

"Sure he will," Alex said, "Walker said he was taught that when people die they still watch over their loved ones from the spirit world."

"That sounds nice," C.J. said, "Our parents are deceased but he has an uncle and cousin in L.A."

"You're still working on your new house to get ready to move there?"

"We still have a lot of work to do on the property but we should be ready by the wedding," she said.

"I bet you're excited," Alex said.

C.J. nodded.

"This has been the best year of my life," she said, "Some really hard times behind me and some ahead but I feel like I'm where I should be."

* * *

Matt and Sydney watched as Fran tried to cover for herself in the bathroom.

"I said what's going on here," Harley said folding his beefy arms.

Fran just looked up at him.

"I'm using the ladies room and washing my hands," she said, "Didn't your mama tell you it's not polite to go in the women's bathroom?"

He looked ill at ease.

"I'm looking for that missing pregnant woman," he said.

Fran pretended to concentrate.

"Oh her," she said, "Yeah, I can see your problem. I haven't seen her in a while myself."

Harley moved a step closer but Fran kept her cool.

"Where is she," he demanded.

Fran shrugged.

"How would I know," she said, "I saw her walk out of the room to use the bathroom or something and she never returned. She probably walked right out the front door or the back one."

Harley shook his head.

"Impossible," he said, "We would have seen her. No one can just walk outside of this bank."

"Says who," Fran said, "Not to try to make you mad or cause any trouble or anything but I think she slipped out the back door."

"I don't believe you."

"You don't have to," she said, "I think you need to go and check. I mean if she didn't leave and she passed out before she could, she could be in serious trouble right now."

"What makes you say that," Harley said, "and why should I care?"

She sighed, shaking her head.

"Because you robbed the bank and took hostages," she said, "and if one of us should…die, you would be charged with murder whether you killed that person or not."

Harley paused for a moment.

"You're not pulling anything on me are you?"

She shook her head again earnestly.

"I wouldn't do that."

He looked at her skeptically.

"I guess I'll go and look," he said, "I have to check on the men anyway. They've given us much less trouble than you women have."

"I'm real sorry about that," Fran said, "What ever happened with those two women you took with you?"

"They're being kept separately from the rest of you because they tried to escape," Harley said.

"Really?"

He shifted to his other foot.

"That's what Duke told us," he said, "So he's got him locked up in an office."

Fran appeared to process that.

"Okay I guess that makes some sense," she said, "so why don't you go check the back entrance and I'll go back to the office okay?"

He looked at her confounded but finally nodded slowly. After they left the bathroom and the door closed behind them, Matt stepped out of the closet followed by Sydney.

"It's getting cramped in there," he said.

"It's a closet," Sydney said, "It's supposed to be that way."

"We know there are three robbers," Matt said, "It's time to start taking them out one by one."

"How are we going to do that," Sydney asked, "without the others knowing?"

Matt scratched his chin.

"Very carefully and one at a time," he said, "We have to do this because they split up the hostages into different locations of the bank."

Sydney looked at her watch.

"I wonder if the feds changed their mind about the SWAT operation," she said, "or if Walker talked them into postponing it."

"I hope he did," Matt said, "I really think a raid is just going to get people killed."

Sydney folded her arms.

"Your plan could get them killed too."

"Not if we do it carefully," Matt said, "We're going to need Brody and Gage's help."

"They're still in the tunnels I think."

"Can you slip out and talk to them," Matt asked.

She looked at him pointedly.

"Only if you promise not to do anything rash while I'm gone," she said.

"I plan to wait right here," Matt said, "but not all day."

She threw up her hands but walked into the closet to slip back outside in the steam tunnels.

* * *

There, Brody and Gage stood, their faces reddened by the heat and humidity.

"You're back," Gage said, "What's going on here Sydney?"

Walker appeared out of the steam in front of them.

"So what's this about a plan?"

Gage shrugged.

"You'd better ask Sydney on that one."

Walker turned to Sydney and his eyebrows rose.

"Matt's got a plan for taking out the three robbers before they can hurt anyone," she said.

Walker folded his arms.

"I'm listening…"

Matt explained his strategy and Walker listened intently.

"Sounds dangerous," he said finally.

"It is," Matt responded, "but if the SWAT Team goes in there, at least some of them are going to die."

Walker nodded.

"I agree," he said, "Okay, we'll try your plan but I'm going to modify it."

Matt thought about it then nodded.

"This is how it's going to go," Walker started.

* * *

C.J. thought back to when she had been a fledgling public defender who had tossed her cookies the first time she had faced off against Alex, who had been working for the District Attorney's office for a while. They had survived their first professional confrontation working on opposite sides of a case much less contentious than the one that brought them together now.

They had spent some free time together including those Friday nights eating bargain basement tacos and Margaritas, sometimes with other attorneys but more often than not, just the two of them. While others in their professional circles partied their weekends away, the both of them spent much of their time not working preparing for when they were. C.J. spent her weekends at the law library and that's where Alex had met her then boyfriend, Jonathan when he dropped by in between training programs at the FBI academy at Quantico. More often than not, he was able to pull C.J. out of a marathon research session at the library where it was just her and her coffee thermos. And every once in a while, C.J.'s best friend, Matt would drop in the library in between business trips working to take his father's company to new heights. And then there was that one time they had shown up at the same time.

They had always been rivals even when they didn't have to be. C.J. had truly loved Jonathan during their stormy two year relationship but their separate ambitions had eventually pulled them apart until before they knew it, they had lost sight of what they had shared. Alex had paid for two rounds of margaritas the night that they had broken up after she had returned from one of her vacations spent with Matt, as a friend and nothing more though Jonathan never seemed to really believe her when she said that.

C.J. had drunk a couple of strawberry margaritas and gone through a couple bowls of chips with Alex before the tacos had arrived. They were piled high with salsa and onions, and the aroma it was just…delicious.

"So this is really it," Alex had asked about her and Jonathan.

C.J. nodded, sipping her drink. The margaritas had done their work in relaxing her.

"He thinks that my relationship with Matt isn't platonic," she said, "I don't think he believes me when I say that it's not like that between us."

"Does a part of you wish that were different," Alex asked.

C.J. started to say something but then she thought about it.

"Maybe sometimes…but I would never risk our friendship and neither would he," she said, "but it's hard sometimes."

"He's a great looking guy who clearly thinks the world about you."

C.J. smiled.

"He just loves women," she said, "and they seem to love him."

Alex narrowed her eyes.

"Did you tell him about Scott," she asked.

C.J. made a face.

"I didn't get around to it," she said, "I don't think he would believe me anyway. They've been friends for years."

"He's been friends with you longer," she said, "I think you should tell him."

C.J. hedged.

"I just can't believe he did that when he knows Julia's my best friend," she said, "She's been sick for a while now and she's finally getting to the end of her treatment."

"She's going into remission?"

C.J. nodded.

"I hope it's a cure," she said, "but you can never be sure with her illness. But Scott's gone back on his whirlwind world tour. Hopefully he won't be back for a while."

C.J. blinked her eyes and she tried to push those thoughts out of her mind. It was a process she faced often when she found her mind wandering back to events in her past that had led to consequences in her future.

"What are you thinking of," Alex asked, as they finished up the pretzels.

"Just when we spent time talking about our messy social lives," she said, "years ago."

Alex laughed.

"Those days," she said, "They were fun but I wouldn't relive them."

"If I had told him about Scott…"

Alex shook her head.

"It might not have changed anything," she said, "Events still might have played themselves out in the same way."

"I know," she said, "We're stuck in here with nothing to do but think."

She got out and started flexing her arms to get the circulation back in them.

"Jonathan and I are still good friends," she said, "That's a miracle. Years later, he was there when I needed him even after our breakup."

"You both had moved on," Alex said, "it was like that with me and what's-his-name."

"He thought I had slept with Houston on that latest vacation we took," she said, "and the truth is, I almost did."

Alex's eyebrow rose.

"Almost?"

"We had been laughing over something one of us said after drinking some wine and well…"

"Who stopped it, you or him?"

"We both did actually," C.J. said, "but it was fun while it lasted thinking back."

The door opened suddenly and in walked Duke, his gun pointed at the two women.

"Get up now," he said, "We're going somewhere."

The two women looked at each other.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32--Here's the latest chapter of this FF story. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading!

* * *

C.J. sat inside a dark room in another place during another time in her life that she didn't often return to anymore. She had her hands clasped together and her chin resting on her knees as she watched the door. When it opened, she knew what was coming and she closed her eyes at the thought. But she couldn't fight it or him because she knew if she did, those that she loved would be hurt, including the man she loved most. A man who had left L.A. not long before she had forced away, traveling the world to find what was missing in his life after his fiancée had left him at the altar.

As the shadows grew larger inside the room, her fear grew inside her intermingling with resignation that nothing would change when the sun went down for the night and the roar of the river that rushed by would become louder.

"Get up now," the voice said, "We're going somewhere."

She froze at those words, when the guards came for her. But now, more than a year later, she looked up to see Duke and Bruiser looking at her. Even with the gun, she just stared at them, not moving.

"Go where," she asked.

"Don't ask questions," Duke warned, "You might not like the answers."

She still looked at him.

"I'm not moving until you tell me where," she said.

He reached to grab her and Alex moved closer.

"What are you planning to do," she said, "You kill anyone, then you won't have a prayer of getting out of this alive."

Duke moved his gun closer.

"Shut up," he said, "If the SWAT team is coming in after us, then we might as well take as many of you with us as we can."

"That's just crazy," Alex said, "If you surrender now, you might get spend some time in your life out of a prison cell."

Duke laughed derisively.

"Not likely," he said, "I was in there for life already and I'm not going back."

C.J. felt her heart pounding.

"You still have a chance," she said, "If you let us all go."

"Let you go," Duke said, "Then there would be no more reason for me to be alive."

"You're living on borrowed time anyway," Alex said, "Don't you see that?"

Bruiser looked at the two women.

"You'd better do what he says," he warned, "or he'll kill you first."

C.J. ran her hand through her hair, trying to think quickly.

* * *

Matt and Sydney had returned through the closet and had entered into the ladies' room. He opened the door to the hallway cautiously, one inch at a time until he was sure none of the robbers stood by. After he stepped carefully into the hallway, he crept into the men's bathroom and hid in the stall. Sydney had wished him luck and she and Gage had remained in the closet. Walker had also gone out into the hallway and joined Matt in the men's room.

"Do you think this is going to work," Gage said to Sydney in the closet.

She nodded.

"If it doesn't, I don't know what we're going to do," she said, "These robbers are bound to be bouncing off the walls about now."

He tilted his head.

"Are you okay," he asked.

She flashed him an irritated look.

"Of course I am," she said, "Why would you ask such a thing?"

"Sydney, you've been within inches of these bank robbers for hours," he pointed out.

She refused to give an inch.

"You've been standing out in that steam tunnel getting heat cramps," she said, "If you can take that, I can handle this."

He raised his hands to ward her off.

"Okay, okay," he said, "Remind me not to express any concern about you in the future."

When she heard the earnestness in his voice, tinged with some hurt feelings, she softened.

"I'm sorry," she said, "It's not that your…concern bothers me. In fact, I do…appreciate it."

He smiled.

"Come on Sydney," he cajoled, "Admit it, you like it."

"Well…"

"It turns you on, doesn't it?"

She frowned and turned towards him with her hands on her hips.

"Excuse me," she said, "This is hardly the time to be talking about this."

"You're right," Gage said, "We are in an extremely delicate and dangerous situation and we should concentrate on taking out some bank robbers."

"I'm not sure they're going to be coming in here anytime soon," Sydney said, adjusting position inside the cramped space.

"Matt said his friend Fran will work on helping with that," Gage said, "Besides Walker and Matt have the men's room covered."

Sydney nodded.

"Let's just get this done, before those robbers snap and do something crazy."

* * *

Matt stood in the stall, his gun ready. Walker stood nearby, also prepared in case one of the bank robbers answered a call of nature. The silence that greeted them set both of their nerves further on edge.

"This could be a while," Walker said.

Matt agreed and he spent most of the time waiting trying not to think about C.J. He knew that Walker was trying not to think about Alex. Both of them had to focus their energy on what they needed to do to end this siege before the commandos were sent in.

"There are three of them," Matt said, "Duke and two others."

"We've got them outnumbered at least," Walker said, "And we've got more men out in the tunnel ready to come in."

"If we can take care of them one by one without the others being the wiser then we can end this quickly," Matt said, "and get these hostages out of here."

They remained silent for a while, listening for any approaching footsteps.

"I know you're worried about your wife," Matt said.

"And you, your fiancée," Walker answered.

"It never gets easy," Matt said, with a sigh.

"No it doesn't," Walker agreed, "Alex has been in danger too many times because of her job or mine."

"C.J. has been spending most of the past year or so rebuilding her life after what happened."

"Both women are very strong and resourceful to survive what they have faced," Walker said, "That's going to make the difference here."

Matt nodded to himself. Just hours ago, he had watched C.J put her own life after those of Chris and her newborn baby. It had made his heart ache to have to leave her behind, but he had promised her he would be back and he meant it. Only three bank robbers stood in his way and he had faced much worse.

"Do you hear anything," Matt asked.

Walker listened.

"I think I hear some people talking outside but I can't hear what they're saying."

* * *

C.J. and Alex had been forced on their feet and had been led out of the office at gunpoint. Duke poked the gun in their backs when they walked too slowly.

"Take it easy with that thing," Alex said, "We're doing what you asked."

"Where are we going," C.J. asked, not expecting an answer.

"We're going to relocate you," Duke said, "I'm going to take her and you."

Alex hesitated.

"I have to use the restroom first if it's okay," she said.

Duke looked at her incredulous.

"Now?"

She looked at him sternly.

"Yes now," she said, "You've kept us captive in that office for hours and my bladder's about to burst."

Duke looked at Bruiser who shrugged. Finally he sighed.

"Okay, call Harley over here and he'll take you," Duke said, "we'll take your friend here."

Harley came when called and he nodded when Duke ordered him to take Alex in the woman's restroom. The other two bank robbers left with C.J. Harley entered the women's room first and looked around cautiously.

"I think we're alone," Alex said, forcing a smile.

His muscles relaxed and he walked in the bathroom pushing her in front of him.

"I want some privacy," she said.

He nodded as she went into one of the stalls. He faced it with his back to the closet. Before he could react, two people jumped him from behind and despite his struggling pinned him against the wall.

"Don't fight," Gage said, "or we'll shoot you."

The man turned his head and spit in their direction.

"You wouldn't dare," he said, "Because then we'll kill all the hostages."

Gage just looked at him.

"How can you do anything if you're in here with us?"

"There are two…nice try," Harley said, "They'll know I'm missing."

"They won't know where you are," Gage said, as more men entered into the bathroom and several forced Harley against the wall while they handcuffed him.

"Take him away," Sydney said, then patted Gage on the back, "Nice going."

Alex opened up the stall door and smiled broadly at her two friends.

"I've never been so happy to see you," she said, embracing both of them.

"We're going to get you out of here," Sydney promised, "Walker and…"

The room reverberated with footsteps approaching the bathroom. Sydney looked at Gage. He nodded and they stepped back into the closet. Just in time, as the door sprung open with Duke and Bruiser entering with their guns drawn.

"Where is he," Duke demanded.

Alex just looked at them from where she rinsed her hands in the sink.

"Who," she asked.

"You know who," Duke said, looking directly at her.

She forced another smile on her face.

"Oh you mean Harley," she said, "He had to go."

The two men looked around the bathroom.

"Where," Duke asked, "He was supposed to come here with you."

"I know, but just as we entered, he said he had something to do," Alex said, "So he left me here alone."

Bruiser looked at Duke.

"Boss I don't know…"

"Shut up," Duke barked.

Bruiser did for the moment.

"Now think again very carefully," Duke told Alex, "When did you last see Harley?"

"I told you," she said, "Before I came in here."

Duke grabbed her by the arm.

"Come on," he said, "We'll go ask your friend."

The three of them left the bathroom.

* * *

Matt looked at Walker.

"What was that," he asked.

"I think Gage and Sydney might have gotten one of them in there," Walker said, "At least I hope so."

"If that's the case," Matt said, "Then that's one down, two to go."

* * *

C.J. rested her chin on her hands as she sat alone in another room near the back of the bank. She had looked around to see if she could find anything useful but the robbers had chosen the spot well. She sat, resting her hand on her abdomen, hoping her baby could feel her reassuring it. She promised it that life wouldn't always be like this, and then she laughed to herself, knowing she might not be able to keep that promise.

The door opened and she saw Bruiser and Duke bringing Alex in the room.

"I told you I don't know where he is," Alex said, "If you can't keep track of one of your own that's not my fault."

"Shut up and sit down," Duke ordered, waving his gun, "Give me the phone."

Bruiser looked at him for a moment, and then reached for it.

"It's time to give the police another call," Duke said, "It's time for us to say goodbye."


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33--Here's the latest installment of this FF cross story. Hope you enjoy reading and thanks for the comments!

* * *

C.J. looked at the note she had just written during the early morning hours when most of the rest of the world slept. Not that the words came easily but she had been working on them after tossing and turning through most of the night. As the sunlight began to shine through her window, she finally got them written down on the page in a way that even if it didn't completely satisfy her would have to do. She looked back at him where he still slept.

She had decided during the night that after everything that had been going on the past few days, she needed some time alone to think about what was going on, even though she didn't understand it. She hadn't had these feelings in months and after seeing the way they had risen to the surface... She tucked the note on the nightstand table and went to get her things. Then she heard the sleepy voice behind her, the one she loved so much.

"Where are you going," he asked.

She turned around and the answer soon came before she could stop it.

Now, she sat in a room watching a bank robber reach over for the telephone to make the last conversation to the police negotiators that he would be making before likely people inside the bank were injured or killed.

Duke pushed buttons on the phone and soon enough, C.J. could hear a voice on the other line from where she sat.

* * *

Jonathan picked up the phone because he was the closest. Walker had been down in the tunnels and had just signed off on a crazy but strangely, logical plan to free the hostages before the robbers started shooting or the commandos rushed into the building. He had lobbied for Jonathan's help and the federal agent had reluctantly agreed. He was about ready to break the news to Simon Denton, the other agent but hadn't been able to find the most diplomatic approach to that when the phone rang, jarring him out of his thoughts.

"Hello," he said, without thinking.

Within seconds, he knew who had called him.

"Where's the Ranger," Duke demanded.

Jonathan recovered quickly.

"He's not…here," he said, "But I am. What would you like to talk about?"

"Who are you," Duke said, "Don't tell me you're one of those G men in a suit. I want a real cop."

Jonathan pulled at his suit collar.

"Guilty as charged," he said, "But the federal agencies have top jurisdiction here so you'd be relegated to talking to one of those suits soon enough."

He heard Duke pause on the other end of the phone.

"Where are the things that we demanded," he asked, "It's been hours and you're running out of time."

Jonathan paused, looking at his watch.

"We're still working on several of your demands," he said, "You need to be patient."

Duke didn't seem to like hearing that much.

"You need to understand that if you don't get us our demands," he said, "We're going to start killing hostages."

Jonathan sighed.

"If you do that, you will be guaranteeing your own deaths," he said, "There's still a chance you can have some life after prison."

He heard the phone click off and he knew he had just said the wrong thing.

* * *

Duke threw down the phone and began pacing. C.J. and Alex saw how agitated his movements were and knew that was not a good sign. C.J. ran her hand through her hair.

"We've got to get his mind off of killing us," she said.

Alex nodded.

"I think it's just going to spiral down even further if we don't do something," he said.

Duke approached them.

"Which one of you wants to be the first to die?"

C.J. tried to force a smile on her face, her hands clenched where he couldn't see them.

"Nobody has to die," she said, "Everything's going just fine. You need to give the feds more time."

He slammed his fist on the table before she could even finish.

"Enough time has passed," he said, "It's time for them to learn the hard way what it means to defy us."

"It might be better…if you cut them some slack," Alex continued, "Show them some good faith."

Duke shook his head and took out his gun. C.J. and Alex looked at each other. Alex found herself flashing back to the day her daughter, Angela had been born. A day that could have been her most tragic, turned out to be so blessed. She tried to force her thoughts about her out of her mind.

"Please…you don't have to kill anyone," Alex said, "If you do, you'll die too. Do you want to die?"

Duke continued pacing while the two women kept their eyes on the gun.

"I'm not going to prison," he said, "Not alive anyway."

C.J. began to feel sick though she wasn't sure whether it was due to the sudden wave of fear that filled her or from the life she felt she had to protect at all costs.

"Excuse me," she said, "I think I'm going to be sick."

Duke stopped pacing and scrutinized her.

"Is this a trick?"

She shook her head.

"No, I…think it must have been those Anchovies," she said, "Maybe they were bad."

Duke glared.

"If you're going to die, it doesn't matter if you're sick or not now does it," he said, pulling his gun, "In fact, maybe I should shoot you first and do you a favor."

"No…" C.J. said, "I just have to go to the bathroom."

Duke pondered that.

"I could shoot her first," he said, to C.J.

"I just need a few minutes and I'll feel better," she said.

Duke thought about it.

"Okay…I'll have Harley take you but…this had better not be a trick."

C.J. shook her head.

Bruiser frowned.

"Where's Harley anyway?"

Duke sighed.

"He'd better not be sleeping on the job again."

"I'll go check boss," Bruiser offered.

"Take her with you," Duke said, gesturing to C.J.

Bruiser nodded and the two of them started to leave.

Duke pointed his finger at C.J.

"If you try anything," he said, "You'll both die."

"Got you," C.J. answered as she left with Bruiser.

* * *

Matt and Walker waited in the bathroom, still cramped in the closet.

"There's two left," Walker said, "We're going to have to act quickly if they find out someone took their partner out."

"That could be pretty soon," Matt said, "This isn't a very large building."

Then they heard the door open and someone enter, going straight to one of the stalls. Matt looked through the opening in the closet door and his eyes widened when he saw C.J. enter into one of the stalls. He crept out softly.

"Who's there," she said.

"It's me, Houston," he said.

The door opened and a woman swept into his arms. He embraced her tightly.

"Are you okay," he said.

She pushed away to look at him.

"I'm feeling a little sick to my stomach," she said, "but otherwise I'm fine."

"Your face…"

He reached out to touch it.

"It doesn't hurt," she said, about the bruise, "I'm doing okay."

He stroked her hair.

"I want to get you out of here."

She frowned, looking down.

"I can't stay," she said, "One of them is outside and they'll start killing people starting with Alex if I try anything."

Matt looked at the closet.

"Her husband's with me."

Walker stepped out of the closet and she smiled at him.

"Hi Walker," she said, "Your wife's doing fine. They've been keeping us together in an office."

"We've put together a plan to get you all out of here," he said.

"That's great," C.J. said, "But you've got to act quickly because they're getting ready to start shooting hostages."

Matt and Walker looked at each other.

"We're trying to talk them out of it of course," she said.

Walker rubbed his chin.

"We're going to have to step up our plan," he said, "Sydney and Gage are also in the bank."

"We can help you," C.J. said, "Just tell us what to do."

"We're going to need you to sit tight for now," Matt said, "But we need to take out at least one other robber."

She nodded.

"I'll see what Alex and I can do to help you with that."

Matt paused.

"C.J. I don't want you take any unnecessary risks…"

She looked at him and sighed.

"This whole thing's about taking risks Houston," she said, "We're going to have to do that to get out of here alive."

He took her in her arms and she felt snug in his embrace, closing her eyes for a moment. She felt the temptation to tell him about the baby but didn't. It would have to wait until they were out of here in a better place. When he let go of her, he caught the look in her eyes and decided there was something he needed to ask.

"C.J. are you…"

The door suddenly shook as someone knocked on it.

"Are you done in there," a male voice said, "Because you've been taking a long time."

She looked at Matt and turned towards the door.

"I'm coming," she yelled, "I'm a woman and we just take longer."

They heard him grumble on the other side of the door.

"I've got to go," she said, softly looking at him again, then touching him on the cheek.

She closed the door behind her, leaving the two men alone.

* * *

"You're poking me," Gage said, irritated in another stall.

"Can two of us fit in here," Sydney said, about the bathroom stall.

"Of course," Gage said, "Two people can easily fit in stalls when they're really motivated…"

She snorted.

"I'm sorry I asked," she said, "Is that all you think about?"

He looked puzzled.

"What does what two contenting adults do really bother you?"

She sighed at her partner then grew annoyed at herself for letting him get to her once again.

"No, why should it?"

"What happened to what's his name," Gage asked.

She turned to look at him.

"Why are you bringing him up in the middle of a bank hostage situation," she said, glaring at him, "Besides, I broke up with him."

"Why?"

Sydney rolled her eyes.

"What's the matter with you," she said.

"I'm just trying to pass the time," he said, "We could be in this bathroom for hours."

"They don't have hours," she said, solemnly.

He couldn't argue with that.

"You're right," he said, "We need to find a way to take another one of them out before they take any of our people out."

Sydney nodded, her pony tail bobbing up and down.

"So do you have any plans for when this situation is over and done with and the good guys defeat the criminals?"

She just turned to him and shot him a piercing look, which told him more than words could.

* * *

Matt had grown silent after C.J. had left the bathroom. Walker looked at him.

"She's going to be just fine," he said, "So are all of the hostages."

Matt nodded.

"We've got to make sure our plan works," he said.

"It will," Walker said, "Hopefully Jonathan's getting through to the other feds on the outside."

"If he isn't…"

"We're not going to let it come to that," Walker said.

Matt digested that and found himself being drawn by visions of his life during the past year or so. The last few months had been very rocky and had sorely tested him and C.J. as much as the previous year had done. In the past couple of months, things had started smoothing out again and they had become engaged to be married and were preparing to move into their new home. So much of life still lay ahead to be written.

"I know," he said, simply.

And he knew now that he really did know.

* * *

C.J. and Bruiser returned to the office and Alex looked up at them. Duke didn't seem quite as angry as he had been earlier. When C.J. returned to sitting next to Alex, she raised a brow at her.

"He's had second thoughts," Alex said, watching as Duke and Bruiser moved out into the hallway.

C.J. sighed and moved closer.

"Houston and Walker are in the bank," she said, "We've got to help them."

Alex's eyes lit up.

"We can do that," she said, "I just want to get us all out of here."

C.J. nodded.

"We'll have to figure out what to do," she said.

Both women looked up to see the two robbers reenter the office.

"We've decided to give the police one more hour," Duke said, "But that's it."

C.J. looked up at him.

"Thank you," she said, "I'm sure they will work harder and come through for you."

She wasn't certain of that at all but she needed to buy them some time.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34---Oh dear, it's taken me forever but here's another chapter of this FF story. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for the feedback!

* * *

Duke paced the office while both Alex and C.J. watched him as they had been doing for hours since he had them brought in there. Bruiser returned to the doorway and Duke spun around and glared at him.

"Did you find him," Duke asked.

Bruiser shrugged.

"I can't find any sign of him boss," he said, "Do you think he cut out on us?"

Duke stroked his face and looked over at the two women.

"I think the answer is sitting over there."

Bruiser followed his glance to where C.J. and Alex sat against a wall. Duke approached them again, folding his arms.

"Which one of you is going to tell us where Harley is," he said, "Whoever tells me the truth, I will think about sparing."

"And if we don't tell you," Alex asked.

"Then you can watch each other die."

C.J. and Alex looked at each other, and then they looked at him.

"How is that possible," Alex said, "If you kill one of us, then that one of us can't see what you do to the other."

Bruiser looked at Duke and raised his brows.

"She's got a point."

Duke just shook his head vehemently.

"I think I'll kill her first," he said, raising his gun.

C.J. stood up between them.

"I think I know where Harley might be," she said.

Duke leaned closer.

"And where is that," he demanded.

C.J. bit her lip.

"I think he said something about checking on the male hostages."

Duke narrowed his eyes.

"I think you're lying."

C.J. shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm sure that's where he is," she said, "Unless of course he went to the restroom."

"I don't know Duke," Bruiser said, "If he's been there, he would be back by now."

Duke nodded.

"You'd better not be lying," he warned.

"You can find that out soon enough by looking for him," C.J. said.

Bruiser's eyes flickered.

"I don't trust these two," he said, "It could be a lie to fool us."

Duke gestured to Bruiser to follow him outside.

When the men were gone, C.J. sighed.

"They're in the bathrooms," she said, "They slipped in through that entrance that they found inside the tunnels."

Alex nodded.

"The one that your friend escaped through with her baby," she said, "how many?"

"Four," she said, "I think it's Houston, Walker and two of the Rangers."

"Probably Sydney and Gage," Alex finished, "We're in great hands."

"We're going to have to help them," C.J. said, "But we've got to figure out a way to do that."

"There are only two of them left right?"

"Harley's in federal custody," C.J. said, "So that's just Duke and that other thug."

Alex smiled, grimly.

"I think we can handle these two," she said, "It's not like we've really got a choice."

* * *

Jonathan's eyebrows shot up when he saw Harley being brought past him handcuffed and in between two of Denton's agents. Denton looked surprised as well.

"How did that happen," Jonathan asked.

Denton had conversed with the agents and then come back to where Jonathan was sitting waiting for word from Brody in the tunnels on whether or not he had heard anything from inside the bank. The radio had been silent for a while on pretty much all fronts until it crackled with news that one of the robbers had been apprehended and placed under arrest.

Denton didn't look very happy even in the face of the arrest.

"Some of Walker's men are inside the bank," he said, "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that."

Jonathan looked back at him.

"I know that Walker's determined to get these men in custody before they start shooting people."

Denton looked like he was about to explode but kept his mouth in a straight line.

"So he went off on his own," he said, finally, "Even though it could put a bank filled with hostages closer to being killed."

Jonathan sighed.

"They're already close to it Simon," he said, "Those men are so tightly wound up right now, anything could happen. Especially that Duke."

Denton began pacing.

"We've got the best trained commando response team," he said, "And they're in stand down in the parking lot right now until we give them the order to move."

"They could get everyone in that bank changed if those robbers see them coming to get them and figure they have nothing left to lose," Jonathan protested.

"We are going to take every precaution," Denton said, "These men are trained…"

"So are the people inside the bank," Jonathan said, "Walker's Rangers are the best in the business."

"But this isn't even their jurisdiction," Denton said, "They are completely out of order here. I could…"

"But you won't," Jonathan said, "Because they've already delivered one of the robbers and they'll get the other two."

Denton looked at the radio.

"So what do I tell my men?"

Jonathan paused.

"To wait until further instruction," he said, "We've got to give Walker and the others some more time."

* * *

Matt sat in deep thought along with Walker, waiting for something to happen and whether or not it would be time to move soon. He thought of the two other robbers still lurking inside the bank and the hostages whose lives depended on their ability to get them out of here. But he also thought of other things, like memories from the past that invaded his mind no matter how hard he tried to push them away and focus on the task at hand. Walker looked over at him.

"It's hard not to think about what you might be losing," he said.

Matt glanced over in surprise, and then nodded.

"I was thinking of a trip I took ice fishing on a ranch in Colorado earlier this year," he said, "I had a good time but I found myself thinking of getting back to her."

Walker smiled.

"I know the feeling."

"We weren't even together then," Matt said, "We'd spent Christmas together, it was difficult for her because she was still working through what had happened to her. I told her that one year could make a lot of difference in a person's life, how much could change in that period of time."

"It usually does," Walker agreed, "Alex and I were friends for a long time but once I got over my foolish excuses for not telling her how I felt, things moved a little more quickly. It took a life and death emergency for us to get it right."

Matt nodded.

"Actually, more than one," Walker said.

"It's been a difficult year," Matt said, rubbing the back of his neck, "One of the hardest but it's been the best year of my life."

"It's going to have a happy ending," Walker said, "We're all going home tonight."

"I plan on making sure of that," Matt said, "for everyone in here."

* * *

A few feet away, Sydney stretched her arms, feeling her muscles growing tight then did some pushups off the wall to keep herself alert. Gage looked at her and shook his head.

"Sydney, stop that," he said, "You're making me tired."

She whipped her ponytail back and rolled her eyes at her partner.

"We're going to have to be ready to act," she said, "and I don't want a partner who's sleeping on the job."

Gage yawned.

"Who's sleeping," he said, "We've been here for a couple of hours at least."

"We've been staked out longer than this Gage," she pointed out, "And in more cramped spots."

Gage shook his head.

"I wonder what's going on with Walker and Houston," he said, "I don't hear much going on outside."

"The robbers must be on the other side of the building," Sydney said, "I wonder when they're going to start looking for their missing guy."

"We'd better be ready when they do," Gage said, "especially if they come looking in here."

"We're going to need to get them one at a time," Sydney said, "and take them out."

Gage smiled.

"What are you grinning about," she demanded.

"I like the way the lady thinks."

And totally against her will and better judgment, she found herself smiling back.

* * *

C.J. leaned against the wall, suddenly feeling tired. Her muscles ached and she tried to rub her arms to ease them.

"I almost left him," she said, almost to herself.

Alex looked over at her.

"You did?"

C.J. nodded, closing her eyes.

"It was a few months ago," she said, "I thought I was beginning to put it all behind me."

"What happened…"

C.J. nodded again.

"But I was wrong," she said, "and I realized that I had never stopped thinking in the back of my mind that I needed to be ready to leave…I hadn't stopped running away."

"That sounds difficult."

"It was," C.J. said, "But we got through it…but I didn't know what else was hiding out there."

"I went through that when I was framed for murder," Alex said, "I had kept a secret from both Walker and my father. My dad and I didn't have a close relationship, hadn't for years."

"It was that guy that hit you back then."

Alex nodded.

"I was so ashamed for so long that I hadn't read the signals and let someone treat me like that," she said, "I second guessed myself for so long in every relationship."

"But you're a strong woman Alex," C.J. countered, "You were back then and you certainly are now."

"So are you C.J.," Alex said, "I knew it and I didn't know Matt very well but he certainly did. I think he would have been upset if you had left."

C.J. looked at her hands.

"I know that," she said, "I was thinking back then that I had put him through so much already."

Alex smiled.

"Well now you're engaged and you've got a little one coming," she said, "Everything's as it should be."

C.J. thought about that and despite her uncertainty about whether or not they would get out of this hostage siege alive, she felt that too.

* * *

Matt paced in the bathroom, unable to keep still.

"I think it's time for us to think about bringing this to an end."

Walker looked at him and nodded.

"We've got to separate them and deal with each one separately," he said.

"It needs to be soon," Matt said.

Suddenly they heard movement and footsteps outside the bathroom and looked at each other.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35--This cross-fiction is finally up again! Thanks for reading and the comments!

* * *

"Were the fish biting," she asked him.

Matt looked up at C.J. who was giving him a funny look from where she sat in the living room of the ranch house by the fire. He smiled and sat down next to her, enjoying the warmth.

"Jed got a few," he said, "At least he said he did. I think they go there mostly to get away from the women for a while."

C.J. folded her arms, amusement lighting her eyes.

"Is that why you went Houston," she asked.

He looked at her bemused.

"I went for the fishing," he responded, "and the beer."

"You drank beer in this weather?"

"Not very much," he admitted, "It was damn cold out there. I think I'm a warm weather person."

She nodded.

"I see, you mean tropical islands, ocean breezes, palm trees and beautiful women…"

His brows rose.

"Guilty as charged," he said.

She chuckled at that and he remembered thinking that it was beautiful.

* * *

Matt sighed from where he waited inside the bank, thinking back to that day when the ground had been frozen but he had never felt as warm as he did when he had returned from the fishing trip and realized that everything he had ever wanted was inside that room. Everything he still wanted, even looking back on the time that had elapsed since that day. A year which had seen some of the most difficult challenges they had ever faced, but also some of the greatest joy they could imagine. He had watched as the woman he loved had finally blossomed with the passage of time to where she felt that she knew herself again and she had shared that with him.

But the tests that the fates had given them clearly weren't done yet. The footsteps that both he and Walker had heard had lingered by the door for a few seconds as if someone was outside thinking before they had continued. Both men exhaled, neither aware that they had held their breaths while waiting for what would happen.

"We've got take this up a level," Walker said then.

Matt blinked his eyes reluctant to release his thoughts and the memories they had evoked, finding himself back in the present inside the small bathroom of a bank filled with innocent people being held hostage by a trio of bank robbers during a siege which was well into its second day. And Matt knew that with each passing hour, the chances of a safe resolution to this crisis diminished. Still, he had to remind himself that only two bank robbers remained as the one with prison records that had identified him as Chris Harley was in custody and being interrogated by federal agents. Would he fold under the heat and provide information about the other robbers and their plans? Matt couldn't answer that and he had decided he couldn't wait for that question to be answered. Enough time had been wasted since this siege had begun.

"What do you want to do," Matt asked.

Walker rubbed his jaw.

"I want to figure out how to take the last two guys out," he said, "and end this thing."

"So do I," Matt agreed, "but we're running out of time."

"There's four of us," Walker said, "and only two of them."

"And over a dozen hostages caught in the middle," Matt said.

"We're trained. They're desperate," Walker said, "Not the best combination but not the worst."

Matt thought about something that had been running through his mind in the past hour or so.

"If we could get more people in here…"

Walker nodded.

"It's going to be difficult," he said, "These men have hair triggers that could go off any minute, much quicker than their guns."

Matt didn't even want to think about that. All he wanted to believe was that the siege would be forced to a close without any of the hostages being harmed.

"This has got to end," he said, "So we've got to get one of them in here like we did with Harley without the other knowing."

"I'm willing," Walker said, "I'll go check with the others."

* * *

C.J. sat after having listened to what Alex had told her about her own struggles during her life. She had remembered back to when they were both struggling attorneys working on opposite sides of the law while both believing passionately in what they were doing. Yet they had still remained friendly and had shared details of their lives with each other that they had never told anyone else. Alex had remained passionate to her pursuit of justice for crime victims whereas C.J. had discovered that criminal defense law had never really been her calling. But then neither was corporate law even though she had loved working for Matt's company and what they had built together when she had showed up at his office for a job, after quitting her job with the public defender's office. Only when her mentor in law school, F. Lee Bailey had called her asking her to handle one of his cases in a small backwoods town in Utah had she weakened in her resolve to keep that chapter of her life closed. And that had worked out well in the end, even after a disastrous first day where her client had readily confessed to the massacre he had not committed and the townspeople had gone all vigilante on her and then later Matt for handling the controversial case. Thinking back on that time in her life, she realized she couldn't really blame the relatives and friends of the slain teens for their actions now that she realized how far she had been willing to go to protect the ones she loved. When Bailey had hit her up again for a favor, she had said thanks but no thanks and he had understood.

"They seem to be spending more time out in the hallway," Alex said.

C.J. looked to where Duke and Bruiser stood in discussion.

"I wonder what they're planning next," she said.

"It's probably not about surrendering to the police," Alex said.

"No I doubt that."

C.J. stretched her arms, feeling her muscles tighten. They had been sitting on the floor for several hours. Alex saw her wince.

"You doing okay," she asked.

C.J. nodded.

"My legs are just cramped," she said, trying to stand up and move around.

"We're going to get out of here soon," Alex said.

"It can't be too soon for me."

Alex smiled.

"It's almost afternoon," she said, "I would be working in Dallas in the mornings and then eat lunch at this Italian restaurant. Sometimes Walker would take some time off and join me."

"That sounds nice."

"We go walking sometimes after lunch until we both have to get back to work," Alex said, "They're some nice gardens nearby with the most beautiful flowers."

"I usually eat lunch with my friends and then we go look at the shops," C.J. said, "I've been looking at furniture for the new house."

Alex smiled.

"Now it's going to be baby furniture," she said, " which is a lot of fun especially when the fathers to be decide to try to put it together without the instructions."

"I can't wait," C.J. said.

"Then after I get off from work, I pick up my daughter from the daycare center and head on to the grocery store to pick up food for dinner," Alex said.

"Houston does most of the shopping when he's in town," C.J. said, "I'm usually late to come home from work but he usually has dinner waiting."

"Walker loves to cook but he hates to shop."

Suddenly, the two robbers came back in the room and glared at the two women.

"Stop talking," Duke ordered.

They looked back up at him.

"What you are planning to do, "Alex asked, "Maybe you should think about surrendering."

"Maybe you should think about shutting your mouth," Duke said.

"They're going to come in and get you," Alex continued.

Duke laughed.

"They haven't yet."

"Because they're giving you more time to give up," Alex said, "and you should really think about it while you still have time."

Bruiser looked at Duke who shook his head at him.

"We've got to do something boss," he said.

Duke scowled.

"You think I can't handle this situation?"

Bruiser just looked away.

"We haven't seen Harley in a while and they could be crashing through those doors any minute," he said.

"Harley's probably asleep somewhere and the cops know we'll start shooting hostages if they come crashing in," Duke said, "That's why they are still sitting around outside."

"That could change at any minute," Bruiser said hesitantly.

And behind him, the clock continued to tick away time on the wall.

* * *

Gage scowled.

"It's so cramped in here," he complained.

Sydney snorted.

"It's only been a few hours," she said, "You've been in worst stakeouts than this and it shouldn't be much longer."

Gage stretched.

"I wonder how Walker and the other guy are doing," he said, "We need to take out at least one other bank robber."

"We will," Sydney said, "but it has to be done carefully and go off without a hitch."

"The best laid plans or something like that," Gage warned, "often have a way of not going off according to plan."

"I trust Walker to come up with a good strategy and I'm going to wait for his go ahead," Sydney said.

"Oh I am too," Gage said, "I just hope it's soon before the robbers go stir crazy and start killing hostages."

"I think they'll hold out a while longer," Sydney said, "Though I'm not sure about Duke. That guy's clearly mentally unstable."

"I agree Syd and that's why I don't want to just sit here and play the waiting game," Gage said.

"That's our job to do that," Sydney said, "You don't have to like it. I don't like it but we have to await our orders."

The bathroom door creaked as it opened and both Sydney and Gage froze inside the storage room until they heard a familiar voice.

"Walker," Gage said, stepping outside into the main bathroom with Sydney just behind him.

"We're going to have to act quickly to take out a second guy," Walker said, "If we do that, then there will only be one left."

"We're going to have to do it without the last one finding out," Sydney said.

Walker nodded.

"I think we can do that."

"Then that's a plan," Gage said, "We'll be ready."

"Alex and C.J. know that we're in here," Walker said, "So it might be up to them to speed up the progress."

"They won't be putting themselves in danger," Sydney asked.

"Not anymore than they are already," Walker said, "This is the best chance for them and the other hostages. This situation is worsening by the minute."

Footsteps passed by the door and for a moment, the three of them froze but they passed by.

"I'd better get going," Walker said, moving towards the door.

He waited a moment before he left them.

* * *

C.J. and Alex walked as Duke had left with Bruiser standing outside the door. They had guessed that the leader was out looking for his missing bank robber. Good luck on that one, C.J. thought.

"We've got to get them where the guys can take them out," C.J. said, "One at a time."

Alex nodded.

"We don't want to arouse suspicion," she said, "After all, we haven't exactly been nice to them."

"No we haven't," C.J. agreed, "but I'm going to be a lot less nice to get us out of here if necessary."

"Me too."

C.J. raised her head.

"Here they come," she said, "Get ready."

Both women straightened up in their sitting positions as the two remaining robbers entered the room.

"What's going on here," Duke barked.

C.J. cleared her throat.

"We've got something to tell you."


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36---Here's the latest in this cross-FF story. I hope you like it, thanks for reading and your comments!

* * *

C.J. and Alex looked at each other before they looked at the bank robbers and then Alex nodded at C.J. Duke folded his arms and glared at them.

"What is it, because we don't have all day and I'm liable to start shooting people soon…"

C.J. took a deep breath.

"It's about your friend Harley."

Duke frowned and Bruiser looked at him.

"What about him?"

"I think he snuck out the back entrance and is ratting out your whole operation to the cops," C.J. said.

The two robbers looked at each other before Duke looked back at her.

"I don't believe you."

She sighed then looked at her watch.

"I think I saw him sneak out about an hour ago," she said.

"Why didn't you say anything," he said.

She folded her arms.

"It's not my place to give you updates on what your own men are doing."

Duke glared at Bruiser.

"Why didn't I hear anything about it from you?"

Bruiser looked uncomfortable.

"I didn't see him for a while," he said, "but how do you know she's not lying?"

Duke looked at C.J. again.

"I don't."

C.J. sighed again.

"Look, I'm just telling you what I saw," she said.

Duke looked at Alex who nodded.

"He's probably telling the feds and the police everything about you," Alex said, "You should think about giving yourselves up while you still have the chance."

Duke flashed them a look of suspicion.

"We're not planning on giving ourselves up to anyone," he said, "Not until they give us what we want."

Alex shook her head.

"I don't think it's going to happen."

Duke glared at them again.

"I think it will."

Then the two men stomped out of the office again. The two women looked at each other and leaned back against the wall.

"How are you holding up," Alex asked.

C.J. rubbed her forehead.

"I want to get out of here," she said, "I'm starving, I'm nauseous and my bladder…"

Alex laughed despite herself.

"I remember those days," she said, "It'll get better."

"I wonder how Houston and Walker are doing."

Alex ran her hand through her hair.

"They're probably coming up with some sort of plan to help us," she said, "We have to trust that they'll do that and be ready to help when they need us."

"I know they will," C.J. said, "I wish the others could know. I wonder how they're doing…Fran…"

"I'm sure they're doing fine," Alex said, "We're going to be okay."

C.J. nodded.

"I know," she said, "I just hate being not able to control what happens, of having that taken away from me."

"I don't like it either," Alex said, "Hopefully it won't be for too much longer and these thugs will be going back to prison where they belong or they'll be dead."

* * *

Matt and Walker still waited inside the bathroom.

"I wonder how Sydney and Gage are doing," he said.

"How well do they work together," Matt asked.

Walker didn't hesitate.

"They're the best in the business," he said, "I wouldn't work with people who weren't."

Matt nodded.

"Me neither."

"Your partner out there seems pretty top notch," Walker noted.

"He was one of the top investigators in the LAPD," Matt said, "My friend's a captain and he gives cops my cards at their retirement parties."

"The best place to find them," Walker said, "since they retire fairly young out there."

"I don't hear any movement out there," Matt said, "There are two of them left."

Walker sighed.

"Duke's going to be the most difficult one to deal with," he said, "the most dangerous."

Matt rubbed his forehead.

"If we can just take out the other one," he said, "At least it will be just Duke we'll have to deal with."

Walker nodded.

"It's getting late," he said, "Angela won't see her mother for her second night."

"She's staying with a friend?"

"Someone she knows very well and has spent time with when Alex and I are at work," Walker said, "She's still too young to know what's going on around her."

"I always wanted children."

Walker looked over at Matt.

"I heard you got started already," he said.

"I don't know for sure," Matt said, "I never had a chance to find out."

"You will," Walker said, "You'll have plenty of time after this is over to plan your future."

* * *

Matt woke up one morning and the space in the bed beside him was empty. He got out of bed and reached for his robe. C.J. was in the kitchen washing some dishes when he walked in and he saw some leftover eggs on the stove.

"There's some toast left over," she said, without looking at him, "and some bacon."

"You got up early," he noted, "I thought you would have wanted to sleep in after your late night."

She shrugged and her face was hidden, framed by her wavy hair.

"I'm sorry I got back so late," she said, "Alesha's not really feeling comfortable in her new safe house and I just want to make things easier for her."

"She's been through a lot C.J.," he said, "It's going to take time for her to open up."

C.J. nodded.

"I know," she said, "And the feds want to push the trial of those drug traffickers instead of postponing it several months until she feels ready. They've assigned a new prosecutor, a woman, to the case."

He heard the tone of despair in her voice.

"I'm sure it will be okay," Matt said, "They need her testimony to put those thugs away for a long time."

"Yes they do," C.J. said, "I'm just afraid they'll push her too hard."

He joined her by the sink and picked up the dishes she had set aside after rinsing and began to dry them.

"Like they pushed you."

"There hasn't even been a trial in my case and I don't know if they ever will be."

He looked at her sideways.

"But that grand jury proceeding was pretty rough, they asked some really tough questions, made you relive everything," he said, "but you made it through."

She smiled, but her eyes didn't.

"As I recall, I flew to L.A. and barely made it to your birthday party."

He put down the towel and stroked the hair out of her face with his hand.

"You were there when it counted."

She nodded, remembering how she had accompanied him on a stakeout and had almost witnessed him getting shot. If she hadn't screamed his name…

"You saved my life," he said.

She shrugged.

"I'm sure you would have gotten away from him. You always do."

"Probably not that time," he said, "That's the closest I'd come to dying because of my career in quite a while and afterward I felt everything just hit me in a rush…"

She remembered that night and how it had affected her as well. They had come a long ways since then through some difficult times that had sorely tested them but joy had made its mark also.

"It was the only part of that day that I felt mattered," she said, "that nothing happened to you."

She turned towards him and her eyes met his own, as he embraced her. They stayed that way for a while and then she let him go. She caressed his face with her hand and thanked him.

Now Matt had to play a waiting game for the bad guys to come to him and he hoped it would be soon so that he and C.J. could get out of this bank and go home. Walker looked at him and knew that his thoughts matched his own. He couldn't wait until he could reunite his wife with their daughter and they could resume life as a family again.

* * *

C.J. looked over at the door where the two men were standing and talking.

"I'm tired of waiting," she said, "The men are waiting to take these men out of commission. We'll have to do our part."

Alex nodded.

"We've got to find a way to get them into a bathroom."

C.J. snorted.

"I would have thought nature would have done that," she said, "God knows my bladder's already filling up again."

"Okay," Alex said, "We're going to have to come up with some good reason for one of them to go while the other stays here with us."

"I've got the perfect excuse," C.J. said, "Pregnancy."

Alex nodded.

"That will work," she said, "Are you sure you're up to it?"

"I've been up to it," C.J. said, "I want to go home and I want everyone else to go home too."

Alex looked back out the door.

"We might get our chance," she said, "Here they come."

C.J. stood up and the men reacted. She put her hands up.

"Relax," she said, "I'm not doing anything but nature calls."

Duke scowled.

"You just went."

C.J. folded her arms.

"I have to go again," she said, "I drank too much soda with the pizza."

"That does it for me boss," Bruiser said, "I'll take her."

C.J. started to follow him. Duke put up his hand.

"Wait a minute," he said, "How do we know this isn't a ruse?"

C.J. gave him a pointed look.

"I can prove it in a minute because I really have to go."

Bruiser looked at Duke.

"I think she's really got to go," he said, "I'll keep a close eye on her in case she tries anything."

"I'm not up for doing anything," C.J. said, "I know it won't do any good anyway. I'm waiting for the SWAT Team to come in."

Bruiser's face grew paler.

"Do you think they're going to do that?"

Duke shot C.J. a dagger look.

"I'll start shooting hostages if they do that," he said, "and they know that."

C.J. nodded.

"That's probably true," she said, "But there's more of them and they'll wipe you out first. I thought we'd established that."

"They'll pay for it if they try that," Duke said.

Bruiser looked over at Duke.

"I'll take her and then we'll be right back."

Duke finally nodded and C.J. smiled at him.

"Thank you."

She and Bruiser walked towards the restroom. She opened the door slowly and started to enter.

"I'll tell you when I'm finished," she said.

He nodded and stood guard by the door.

"You're so much reasonable than your boss," C.J. said then went inside.

She looked around.

"It's me," she said, "I'm C.J."

At that, Gage and Sydney came out of the storage room.

"They let you come down by yourself," Gage asked.

"No," C.J. said, "One of them is waiting outside and Duke's in with Alex."

Gage and Sydney looked at each other.

"Alex is okay," C.J. said, "We've been in the office for the past several hours."

"We're working on a plan with the others to get you all out," Sydney said.

"I know," C.J. said, "We want to help you however we can."

"We need to get one of them in here," Gage said.

C.J. nodded.

"One's outside the door," she said, "Why don't we start with him?"

"Sounds good to me," Sydney said.

"Just allow me," C.J. said, and then walked towards the door.

She knocked on it.

"Hey I'm done here," she said, "but I need your help with something. The door latch is stuck."

"You can't push it open," Bruiser said.

"No, I don't have big strong muscles like you do," she said.

"Okay," she heard him say from the other side of the door.

The door opened and he walked inside and saw C.J. standing by the sink. As he moved closer, two hands grabbed him from behind from where Gage had hidden in one of the stalls. Bruiser tried to struggle but Sydney swung around and did a roundhouse kick which hit him in his thighs, knocking him down on the floor.

"I give up," he said, as Gage leaned on top of him pushing him to the ground as Sydney frisked him pulling out two guns.

"You're pretty packed," she noted, "How many more guns are in this bank?"

He smirked.

"More than you think."

She smiled back.

"Maybe not as many as you think," she said, "Your buddy in crime Harley, he's spilling his guts to the feds even as we speak."

Bruiser's face fell as Gage pulled out his handcuffs and fastened them to Bruiser's wrists behind him. He pulled out his radio to contact Brody in the tunnels.

"We've got another one," he reported, "One left."

Sydney looked over where C.J. stood.

"You okay?"

C.J. looked back at her.

"Nice roundhouse," she said, "

Sydney smiled.

"Thanks," she said, "You kickbox?"

C.J. nodded.

"I learned last year," she said, "I haven't been able to do it lately because…well I just haven't."

Sydney and Gage dragged Bruiser towards the storage room for some reinforcements to take him up to where the feds were located at street level.

"So what do I do now," C.J. said, "They're going to know that something happened if he doesn't come with me."

Sydney thought fast.

"Just tell him that this guy had to go answer the call of nature or that he found Harley."

Gage raised a brow.

"She can just leave through the tunnel and get out of here."

C.J. shook her head.

"I can't," she said, "It's more dangerous if I disappear and I can't leave the others. It will be okay. I'll come up with something."

She walked out of the bathroom leaving them there and walked back to the office where Alex and Duke were waiting.

* * *

Matt turned to Walker after Sydney had notified them that they were only down to one robber, the ringleader Duke. Both men were relieved until Matt learned the role that C.J. had played in his capture.

"It's too dangerous for her to be involved," he said.

"From what Sydney said she handled herself well," Walker said, "She did just what she should have done."

Matt knew that but it didn't make him worry any less for her welfare.

"I wish she had just left and gone to safety."

"She wouldn't have done that," Walker said, "We're going to get everyone out of here and pretty soon."

Matt nodded.

"Now we're just down to Duke, the most dangerous of the group."

"We're going to have to find a way to get at him," Walker said, "He's too smart to come to us."

"Okay we'll come up with a plan" Matt said, "but we're going to have to do it fast."


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37---Here's the latest update to this x-fiction story. I hope you like it, thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

When C.J. returned into the office, Alex just looked at her. C.J. sat down next to her and they both waited for Duke to return.

"They got him," C.J. said to Alex.

Alex nodded.

"One left."

The most dangerous one of all, C.J. thought. But if they took care of him, it would be over and they could leave the bank. She could go home with Matt and tell him her wonderful news. After they stopped by the hospital to visit Chris and her new baby and check in with how they were doing after the eventful birth and delivery.

"Do you think he even knows he's the only one left," Alex asked.

C.J. sighed.

"He'll know pretty soon."

* * *

Matt and Walker had talked about the action they planned to take and Walker had carefully walked to where Sydney and Gage were hiding in the storage room and briefed them quickly on what they were going to do next.

"He's going to be a lot more dangerous when he realizes his gang has been captured," Matt said.

Walker nodded grimly.

"And we still got hostages trapped in the middle between us and them."

Matt didn't even want to think about that part of it. The only way he could function at all in this situation was to distance himself from the reality that he had a personal connection to it. Normally in his work, that galvanized him to solve even the most difficult cases he accepted, gave him that extra impetus when he most needed it. But it had never been that way with his close friends, especially C.J. During those times, he had to shut his personal feelings to the side and push ahead, during times when each breath came harder and he thought his heart might stop. He loved the investigations that he did, well most of them, but only a day ago, he had handed it off to two of his senior investigators to carry on while he started his new business in Houston.

"Do you really want to give all that up," C.J. had asked him one night after they had gone to bed.

Her tone had been serious even though they had been joking about something that had happened seconds before then. He had wondered why her thoughts had drifted to his business in L.A. which had been seeing less and less of him since they both had returned from the adventure they had in Silver Lode, Colorado.

He looked into her worried eyes and he had nodded.

"Not that you haven't been a great source of help for Dan's business and for me," she said, "But you built that business from the ground up."

He had reached out to stroke her hair as he often did.

"We both did," he had reminded her.

She had nodded, remembering the early days of the agency including the nights spent planning how it would operate at a local diner after they both had spent busy days trying to expand Houston Enterprises. They would order food and sit there for hours laying it all out so that when the time came, they would be ready to go into their new venture running. And that's how it had happened, except for a misstep here and there.

She hesitated.

"I might never be able to put this all behind me," she said.

He sighed remembering what had happened the previous month, a reminder that some skeletons would not remain buried in closets no matter how much you wanted them to stay there.

"We've gotten through it," he said, "and we always will, C.J."

She knew he meant what he said. Life often threw out challenges that had to be faced and surmounted. Both of them knew that from the time they were children. All the years that they had known each other had been filled with one challenge or another intermixed with plenty of good times too. She wouldn't take any of that back, even as she struggled to rebuild her life in Houston.

"You're leaving tomorrow," she said, "for several weeks."

"It's my last trip," Matt said, "Some business to wrap up."

She nodded, knowing that he really didn't want to get on an airplane and leave again. She would be very busy the next several weeks with her own career and would be waiting for him when he returned.

"I'm going to miss you," he said, "If I didn't…"

She put her fingers on his lips.

"Don't say anything more," she said, "It'll be fine. And we'll both do what we have to do until we see each other again."

Matt thought about that conversation. He had hated to leave on another business trip when everything he had wanted in his life waited in his home state. C.J. had started making phone calls to realtors to seek the land in her dreams to rebuild on and the woman had told them both that there were plenty of great parcels of open space outside the city. She had wanted some place beautiful in its peacefulness to return to at the end of her highly charged days. A place to relax, perhaps even to raise the family she hoped to have some day. She hadn't broached that subject with Matt yet or had even brought up their future much as each of them seemed content to take each day as it came in light of the past year or so.

And he had hated leaving on this latest business trip when she clearly had been tired and not feeling well. But he and Dan had discussed ways to expand the security business to include a division which investigated the cases that no one else would touch, serving people who couldn't pay the high daily fees charged by most investigators.

"We're going to have to give some heads up to the hostages, "Walker said, interrupting Matt's thoughts.

"That might give them some time to take cover," Matt said, "How many reinforcements do you have?"

Walker paused.

"There's Sydney and Gage," he said, "Maybe a couple others if we can get them in here."

"Brody will be more than happy to volunteer," Matt said, "He's an experienced and trained cop who did some SWAT time."

"That's fine," Walker said, "I'll get Sydney to go tell them. I think they're still in that steam tunnel."

"Hopefully not passed out."

Walker left the bathroom carefully.

* * *

C.J. looked at Alex.

"It's pretty quiet."

Alex frowned.

"Yes it is," she said, "Where's Duke anyway?"

"Maybe he's remembered he's got male hostages," C.J. said.

"Maybe he's looking for his missing men."

C.J. thought that too and knew things could get much more dangerous when he realized he couldn't find them and that he was the sole remaining bank robber in this siege. She wondered what he would do but knew that it probably would involve violence. As unstable as he had become in the past several hours, that was an inevitable conclusion.

"What if he kills us," she asked.

Alex didn't want to think about that.

"He won't," she said, "We're going to stop him."

C.J. nodded.

"Houston wanted me to leave earlier."

"Does he know…?"

She shook her head.

"No he doesn't," she said, "I haven't told him because I don't want him to worry about us when he's got so much else to think about."

"You'll be able to tell him soon enough."

"He really wants children," she said, "We never really talked about it. We've both been caught in the present too much."

"After everything you've both been through, that's understandable."

"I was shocked when he asked me to marry him," C.J. said, "in a really good way."

"Clearly someone had been doing some thinking even if he hadn't been talking…"

"That's all I want," C.J. said, "is for us to have a life together on a ranch somewhere and raise our children including this one."

Alex smiled.

"I know," she said, "I had those same dreams. They are the best of all."

C.J. rubbed her arms.

"We used to talk about it when we were both working in Houston," she said, "at that Tex Mex place with our group."

Alex laughed, remembering back.

"We've both come so far since those days."

C.J. nodded again, knowing that was true.

"It was so confusing yet exciting back in those days," she said, "I was trying to work it out with Jonathan and you had that young Ranger mooning over you."

Alex harrumphed.

"He was not," she said, "We fought all the time then. We still do now but at least we make up."

"I remember that Valentine's Day we spent at that gala," C.J. said.

Alex made a face.

"Don't remind me," she said, "I had a horrible date."

"Not me," C.J. said, "Though Matt fidgeted with his tie the whole time when he wasn't laying down the law to my dance partners."

"He was only trying to protect you," Alex said, "Chad was a jerk. Still is, I heard. Three marriages and just as many career changes."

C.J. hadn't known that, but she did remember how he had treated her and how Matt had stepped in when she hadn't asked to handle him. Just as he had many times until he learned that she had to fight her own battles even the most difficult ones. She thought back how he had been there for her when she had needed him the past year but he had known her well enough to give her space when she needed to regain confidence in her abilities and most importantly, her judgment.

* * *

Matt paced in the bathroom, feeling restless while he awaited Walker's return. He found his mind trying to find C.J. even as he tried to rein in his thoughts. He couldn't focus on her or he felt that would immobilize him. At least not until he had placed himself in the position when he could actually do something. One of the hardest lessons he had to learn was not to rush to her aid when she stumbled but to allow her to handle herself. He had never doubted her abilities to handle her own challenges and had always admired them but had hated to see her struggle so much.

He had been reminded of that when he had dropped into Houston one weekend and had been waiting for her to finish a therapy session. Her eyes hadn't met his own when she left the room and when they had, she noticed that she had been crying.

"C.J…"

She looked at him and shook her head slightly.

"I can't…"

He had buried his frustration that welled up every time she closed the book on any discussion of what she had been going through.

"How can I help you," he had said.

She snapped at him.

"Houston, you can't always help me."

He had been a bit taken aback at her words and when she saw their effect, her face softened a bit.

"There are just some things I have to work through myself," she said, softly, "I'll tell you some day when I'm ready."

He had nodded then and had accepted it. She had put up boundaries between herself and him just as she had other people and eventually he did find out why. Months later, when they had realized how important they had become to each other in an entirely new way, he had learned that many of the feelings she had been sorting through during those difficult times involved him and where he fit in her life.

* * *

Jonathan sat in the mobile response trailer and thumbed his fingers on the table, while his latest cup of coffee grew colder next to him. He had just gotten off the phone with his wife, telling her back in Dallas that he wouldn't be coming home for a while. Rhonda had accepted it and said she would be waiting for him when he did return. He smiled, thinking that life had definitely been much more interesting since she had entered into it. He had also called the hospital to check on Chris and both she and her son, Daniel were doing fine.

Denton walked into the room and Jonathan felt irritation fill him again.

"We've just met with the strike team," Denton said, "We're running out of time to act."

"The window still hasn't shut yet," Jonathan said.

"We're nearly at the point where this could blow up," Denton said.

Jonathan sighed.

"We've got two bank robbers in custody now thanks to Walker and Matt and one of them has spilled the blueprint of the entire building."

"It's still too volatile a situation."

"Listen Simon," Jonathan said, "Walker and Matt are going forward with their plan whether we like it or not."

Denton's eyes flashed.

"Then we're going to have to arrest them and anyone who's helping them with obstruction of justice."

Jonathan threw up his hands.

"Then you're going to have to do it Simon," he said, "Because I'm not helping you."

Denton folded his arms.

"It didn't take you long to rebel with the FBI compared to how long it took you with the Marshal's office."

Jonathan sighed again, at Denton playing that card against him.

"I'm not rebelling," he said, "I think what they're doing is the better option. We have got to trust them."

"Fine, then you trust them right out of another job," Denton said, "I've got an operation to supervise."

With that, the federal agent turned on his heel and stomped off. Jonathan watched him leave and then closed his eyes, thinking, knowing that he had a decision to make.

* * *

C.J. and Alex continued to talk mostly to keep themselves on an even keel, given that they both were very tired and more than ready to get out of the bank. They had to keep hopeful that that moment would come and both of them could be reunited with the men who loved them.

"I hope that they…" Alex started.

Suddenly the door opened and in walked a very irate Duke.

"What the hell is going on here," he said, "Something fishy has happened and I want the truth even if I have to shoot one of you to get the other to talk. So who is ready to die?"

Both Alex and C.J. had to think quickly.

* * *

Walker returned to the bathroom and he and Matt cautiously left there to reunite with Gage and Sydney who seemed to act somewhat strained towards one another. Walker didn't worry because he knew they could toss that aside for a while and act as the professional and very capable Rangers that they had proven to be.

"We're with you boss," Gage said

Sydney nodded.

Matt looked and saw two men and next to them, his partner Brody sipping from a bottle of water. He looked sweaty but none the worse for wear.

"So am I," a voice said.

Matt looked towards the entrance into the storage closet and his eyes widened.

There stood Jonathan.


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38---I've updated this cross-fiction story. I hope you enjoy it, thanks for reading and the feedback. this chapter's a bit off the beaten path. Hope you enjoy it.

* * *

C.J. had driven the Bronco to town after being given the keys by Thea, the woman who had taken care of her for just over a month. She had woken up that morning and pulled herself out of bed, dressing in clothes that had been given for her to wear. Thea and her ranch foreman, Jed had agreed to let her help them work the ranch as soon as she had proven she had recovered enough. She had shown them yesterday that she was more than capable of handling anything and burying herself in physical labor helped her to forget everything else. Including the fact that she might be pregnant with his child.

She had been deathly ill when she had first arrived here but for the most part had recovered from the infection that had nearly claimed her. Still, she felt tired and weak and in the mornings, nauseous. She knew what that probably meant and had buried it in her mind for too long. The fact that the man who raped her repeatedly for a month had gotten her pregnant. That morning, she hadn't thrown up and had managed to swallow a few bites of eggs and roasted potatoes but had fought off a dizzy spell. She had asked Thea if she needed some errands run and the older woman probably knowing she needed to spend some time away had given her a list to take to the grocery store.

Driving down the windy road that snaked through the mountains to Silver Lode, C.J. wrestled with the possibility that she might have the most difficult decision of her life to make if the pregnancy test she intended to purchase came out positive. She didn't know if she had it within her to give birth to a child and raise it that resembled the man who had kidnapped her and held her captive. A child who would serve as a reminder of the violence she endured each time she looked at it. But could she take its life even to save her own? She looked up suddenly and saw the deer standing in the road and swerved.

She looked up with a start and found herself back inside the bank. She reflexively placed her hand on her abdomen where another child grew, this one conceived through the expression of the love she shared with the man who had stood by her through her nightmare.

Alex watched her.

"I used to do that," she said, "when I was pregnant with Angela even before I knew."

C.J. looked away.

"I can't believe it's really going to happen."

The other woman smiled.

"Oh it will," she said, "In about seven months when he or she's ready to join the world and your water breaks, you'll know."

C.J. shook her head.

"I was thinking about when I thought I was pregnant," she said, "after I escaped from Andre."

Alex rubbed her forehead.

"That must have been very difficult for you."

C.J. nodded.

"I remember sitting in the Bronco outside the little general store in town," she said, "too scared to even walk inside and buy the test."

"You didn't see a doctor?"

"I couldn't," she said, "It would have attracted too many questions. I was in hiding at the time."

"So you were all alone…"

C.J. sighed.

"I had people taking care of me who were very kind," she said, "But I was too ashamed to tell them about the rapes. I know now they suspected but I never told anyone until later."

"It wasn't your fault," Alex said, "Surely you knew that."

C.J. nodded.

"Inside I don't know if I really believed that," she said, "It took me a long time."

"But you did go inside that store…"

"It took me a while," she said, "but yes I finally did get out of the car and walk in."

She had walked inside the general store with her list and some trepidation. The shelves were lined with mostly canned goods in the food aisles but at the end, she saw a modest produce section. An older woman she knew to be Bonnie sat at the counter reading a tabloid magazine. They had met when Bonnie had dropped by for dinner the other night and C.J. had noticed that she seemed to spend much of her time either fancying Jed or talking about him. She had remembered feeling relieved because she hadn't wanted to answer any questions.

Bonnie had looked up at her as she had wandered down the aisles picking out items on her list and putting them in a basket.

"Are you looking for anything special," the woman said from the counter.

For a moment, C.J. had thought she had read her mind. She had looked down at her worn boots.

"I…never mind…" she had turned and walked back down the aisle. Tears had formed in her eyes, having waited months to be released but she swallowed them away again. The first rule of hiding out filled her mind, which was not to betray any part of her past life lest your enemies use it to find you.

And she knew that right now, Andre had been searching for her to bring her back to him.

Alex listened to her story.

"So did you get the test?"

C.J. nodded again.

"I didn't want to at first," she said, "but something about Bonnie made me trust her."

"So what did you do?"

C.J. paused, remembering back to a desperate time she had worked hard to put behind her.

"I just took a deep breath and walked up to the counter," she said, "I hadn't seen any on the shelves so I figured she kept them behind the counter and I was right."

"Did she ask you any questions?"

C.J. shook her head.

"My face had still been healing from my escape," she said, "I think she assumed that my showing up suddenly on the ranch was because I had left an abusive man."

"That makes sense," Alex said, having worked with battered women and understanding the dynamic.

"It was easier to let her think that than tell her the truth," C.J. said, "and safer."

"So you took the test."

"I went back to the ranch and I had to put it out of my mind," she said, "because you have to take the test in the morning after you wake up."

Alex nodded.

"That's usually how it works."

"I spent the rest of the day working hard, forcing it out of my mind," C.J. said, "I didn't want to think that I might have escaped from Andre but not completely."

"Meaning you were pregnant with his child…"

"I tossed and turned that night," C.J. said, "dreams of having this child and it turning into a monster when it was born."

Alex sighed.

"I must have been really loud when I was dreaming because Thea came running in," C.J. said, "and when I opened my eyes and saw her there, I just told her."

The older woman had held her in her arms when C.J. had spilled it out through tears and broken words. She had never told anyone about what had happened between her and Thea in this earlier morning, not even Matt. She still didn't know why she kept it inside her until she remembered the story that Thea had shared with her about her own rape before she had met and married Gordon.

"She stayed with me in the bathroom while I waited for the test to work," she said, "She kept my mind off of it with stories about her own children growing up, telling me that pregnancy could be a time of fear but also of great happiness."

Alex nodded.

"I know the feeling," she said, "even when the child is deeply wanted."

.C.J. stretched her arms in front of her.

"I wasn't pregnant," she said, "so I didn't have to really face those fears."

"About what you would have done," Alex said, "how you would have made the most difficult choice a woman can make."

C.J. smiled.

"If things would have been a little different," she said, "It would have been a different choice."

Alex looked puzzled.

"What do you mean?"

"If there was a possibility Houston would have been its father."

* * *

Matt looked up at Jonathan, shaking his head at the agent. Here he was jeopardizing his second employment with the federal government in several years by jumping into their cause. He wondered if Jonathan were as sure as he looked but remembered that in his own way, the man loved C.J. too. The two of them had shared a turbulent romance but he knew by now that the buttoned up bureaucrat still cared deeply for her even as he had fallen in love and married Rhonda.

"You sure you're up for this?"

Jonathan nodded.

"I am if you are."

Matt noted the competitive edge in the man's voice. It had always been like that between them where C.J. had been concerned. He didn't think that Jonathan had ever been entirely sure that Matt respected his relationship with C.J. and hadn't tried to come between them. But then again, considering what had happened more recently, Matt couldn't really blame the guy. After all, what had nearly happened between him and his best friend during that Labor Day weekend vacation the two of them had taken during one of her brief spates from her relationship with Jonathan.

Jonathan smiled back at him now.

"Good," he said, "Then we'd better get this plan rolling."

Walker looked at the both of them, shaking his head.

"I'm not going to have problems with either one of you am I?"

Both of the other men shook their head. Brody looked at all this and raised his brow.

"They'll keep their fists to themselves until this is all over and done with," he said, "then you'd better get out of their way."

Both Matt and Jonathan looked sharply at Brody, who just took another sip from his water bottle, having obviously recovered from the hours he spent inside the underground steam tunnels.

"Do you know she might be pregnant?"

Jonathan looked at Matt in shock.

"You're kidding," he said, "Did she tell you?"

"I think she tried to," Matt said, "but we've all been very busy."

"They'll be plenty of time later," Walker said, "That's how it happened for Alex and me."

Matt hoped that the Ranger spoke right but until the moment he held her in his arms again, he refused to think about what lay ahead for both of them. He knew what this pregnancy meant for her if the love they shared in that suite during the hurricane had taken root and started growing into a brand new life. He wished he hadn't been out of town on business when she had been alone facing it. Just like he wished he had been there for her when she faced a possible pregnancy by herself surrounded by strangers on a remote ranch in Southern Colorado. She had been hiding out under a fake name that she had borrowed from a childhood friend of hers, hiding out from the man who had kidnapped and terrorized her. If she had been pregnant, the baby would have been the product of the brutality he had inflicted on her, leaving her alone with a reminder of the man she had hated. Not that it could have turned out differently. If he hadn't turned her away the night he had left to drop out of sight for six months.

She had tried to stop him from leaving town, he remembered. First with her words, then her body. He had been too filled with grief not so much over losing Elizabeth at the altar but shutting a door on his dream of combining a family life with his exciting career as a private investigator. Guilt filled him as well at the thought that he had put his former fiancée's life in danger, knowing that her life had been filled with enough violence already because of her brothers. When C.J. had argued with him, he had spit back words he later regretted but she had taken them, knowing that his pain made him speak them. She had embraced him suddenly, impulsively and he had responded, forgetting where he was and what he had been doing a moment earlier. She had wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer. He had responded by tracing his lips down her slender neck and slipping his hands beneath her shirt to caress her waist.

He had been about to scoop her up and take it elsewhere when he had put on the brakes. She had looked at him confused when he had pushed her away and paced the room running his hands through his hair.

"Why did you do that," she had asked him.

"I can't do this C.J.," he said, "Why did you come here?"

She ran her hand through her hair, the same hair he had been stroking just a minute ago.

"I…I wanted to see if you were all right."

He didn't feel all right. He felt confused by the events that had transpired that day and feeling a strong urge to leave the city for a while. She looked around the room then and noticed he had been packing a bag.

"You're going somewhere?"

He nodded.

"Just for a while," he said, "to get my head together."

And he had told himself that for the first several weeks that he had been traveling wherever the urge took him but he knew he hadn't been honest. The truth was, he hadn't been sure he would ever return to L.A. until a pivotal series of events changed his perspective. He hadn't known that when he had left town without looking behind him what C.J. would face because he left her wide open to the danger that had been stalking here for months. Years as it turned out, in the form of an extremely dangerous criminal who had his eye on her and had stalked her relentlessly without her even knowing.

"If it had happened that way," C.J. told Alex," I don't know if I could have gotten rid of it."

Alex shook her head.

"I don't know if I could have gotten rid of it anyway," C.J. admitted, "I don't think I have it in me to kill an innocent life even if it had been conceived by rape."

"You would have raised it," Alex said.

C.J. nodded.

"As it turned out, I wasn't pregnant and I was thankful," she said, "One less complication to worry about."

"It's going to be much different now," Alex said, "when we get out of here, you'll have exciting news for the man that you love and who clearly loves you."

C.J. had to smile at that. She didn't know if either her or Alex or any of the other hostages for that matter would make it out alive. But she had survived worse, she had survived Andre so she knew she could survive three bank robbers especially with two of them currently out of commission.

"It's so hard with him being just a few feet down the hallway," C.J. said, "but very comforting as well."

She wanted to leave and bury herself in his comforting embrace right now but knew that had to wait until they took care of the remaining robber, the most dangerous one of all.

Then she and the man she loved more than life could celebrate her good news.

"What would you have done if she had been pregnant with that monster's child," Jonathan asked him as they finalized their strategy.

Matt answered without pausing to find the words. They had been there all along.

"I would have raised that child as my own," he said, "if that's what she had wanted and kept them both safe."

Jonathan looked at him.

"We tried the very best that we could to do that."

Matt looked away not wanting to resurrect an age-old argument between the two of them who had shared a love for the same woman and had been loved by her in return.

"We'd better get a move on here," he said, finally, "If we're ever going to get this done so we can all go home."

And the final word resonated strongly with Matt as it always had since he had figured his life out, once he had found the love of his life who had been in front of him all along.


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39---Finished another chapter of this cross-FF story. Hope you like it, thanks for reading and the comments!

* * *

"What are you thinking about," Alex asked.

C.J. looked up at her from where she sat on the floor.

"Getting out of here," she said, "and going on with my life."

Alex sighed.

"Me too," she said, "I want to tell Walker how much I love him."

"He knows that."

"I know but it's been difficult with me taking this new job and wanting to have another baby," Alex said, "Trying to fit it all together."

C.J. nodded.

"I don't know how I'm going to work this out," she said, "I love my career, I'm getting married next month and now a baby."

Alex smiled.

"It's a bit of a balancing act," she said, "but it will work out just fine."

"My job can be dangerous," C.J. said, "I'm going to have to put that part of it aside at least for a while."

"But you've got brilliant legal skills," Alex countered, "I've always known that."

"Thanks," C.J. said, "I was offered a teaching seminar this winter at a university here so maybe I'll consider that."

"That sounds great…"

Suddenly the door crashed open and in walked the sole remaining bank robber Duke, who looked none too happy with the two women.

"Where are my two men," he said, "I want an answer right now or I will start shooting."

* * *

Matt and Walker gathered up their gear along with Jonathan and Brady.

"Sydney and Gage are ready to join us," Walker said, "We should be ready to move soon."

Jonathan looked at his watch.

"We don't have much time," he said, "I'm sure Simon's on the phone getting ready to send in the troops."

Matt sighed.

"We'd better get going then."

"I don't know if I'm going to have a job after this," Jonathan said, "My second federal job in three years…"

Walker shrugged.

"There's plenty of related work in Texas," he said, "You shouldn't be unemployed long. Many folks here would take leaving two government jobs as a requisite on your resume."

Jonathan chuckled.

"The wife might not like packing up and moving again," he said, "So I would definitely want to find something local."

* * *

Sydney and Gage checked each other's gear before leaving the room and moving to where the others were stationed.

"You ready for this," he asked her.

She looked nonchalant.

"Sure," she said, "We do this every day, remember?"

Gage nodded.

"But it's different now."

Her forehead furrowed.

"How so," she asked.

"Because…"

He embraced her and then gently kissed her on the mouth. At first, the feel of his lips on her own shocked her but not too long, because she kissed him back.

Finally, they broke it off and were all business again ready to focus on the dangerous task ahead.

"Let's get going," she said, gesturing towards the door.

They left, carrying the memory of that moment on their lips.

* * *

C.J. watched Duke pacing in front of them and ranting again about everything he was going to do to the hostages, and which ones he would shoot first.

"Duke," Alex interrupted, "Where's your gang? Did they run out on you?"

The lead robber looked up at them for a moment, wiping his hair out of his face.

"Shut up," he ordered, "I'll wipe that smirk right off of your face."

She folded her arms.

"Let us go," she said, "before the cavalry comes here and takes you out."

He looked hesitant then aimed the gun at both of them.

"I'll take you both with me if that happens."

C.J. swallowed quietly, carefully watching him. She felt tired and hungry, nauseated and in desperate need of a shower and some fresh clothes and wanting to go home. Standing in her path was this man and she wondered if she could take him. But each time she thought about it, she remembered the life inside her. There would have to be another way, she thought, besides physical confrontation even though she would dearly love to kick box him into submission.

Alex entertained some of the same thoughts knowing full well that her husband had taught her plenty of physical skills to defend herself in awareness of the dangers of her own job and those that came along with being married to a Texas Ranger.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking," Alex whispered.

"I want to kick that creep into the next world," C.J. said, "but I can't put her at risk."

Alex's mouth lifted into a smile.

"Her?"

C.J. hugged her body with her arms.

"I just know that it's a girl."

Alex didn't question C.J.'s instincts, having sensed when she had been pregnant that she had been carrying a girl. Some things you just didn't challenge and maternal instinct was one of them.

"No, seriously," C.J. continued, "I had dreams, visions of her after she was born, usually when I was in danger."

Alex nodded.

"I did too," she said, "I just accepted them as her sending me a reminder that she existed but trusted me to take care of her."

Duke stuck his face closer to her so she could inhale his stale breath. Alex tried not to gag.

"Shut up," he ordered, "I've had enough of your talking."

Alex bristled.

"We've been here for over a day now," she said, "We don't have anything else to do during the long stretches you leave us alone between your tantrums."

He waved his gun at her for that. She rolled her eyes at him.

"I know," she said, "You want me to shut up."

He nodded and then stomped out of the room again, probably to undergo the futile task of trying to find his missing men.

"He's not pleasant to have around," Alex noted.

C.J. laughed at that, wiping the tears that had sprung in her eyes.

"It's going to be okay," Alex said, wiping her own eyes, "We're going to get out of this just fine."

"I wish he'd just surrender," C.J. said, "but I don't think he's the type to just give up unfortunately."

Alex nodded in agreement.

"This is going to end one way or another with someone taking that guy out," she said, "and I can't wait until that happens."

Neither could C.J.

She knew that right now Matt planned how to take down the dangerous robber as they had taken care of his accomplices before he could further endanger her. He had always looked out for her since they first met as children. Ironic, she thought with a smile, given that his first impression of her had been on the schoolyard when she had laid waste to the class bully who had taunted her about not having any parents. One morning when they had been released for recess, she had decided she had more than enough and when the bully cornered her by the swings; she had acted by punching him in the stomach. Soon enough, a brawl had started and she had won it. The other kids as was customary didn't interfere with the fighting but watched, jaws dropping when they saw her overpower the larger boy.

Of course, sexism and its double standards had ruled the day when she wound up being labeled the aggressor and being suspended from school longer than the bully had been. She thought it was unfair given that she had only been defending herself from future bullying but her uncle had merely told her that she would be spending her week off from school working all day on the ranch. And she did, she worked very hard patching up fences, loading hay bales and riding the vast expanse of the property to keep herself from the injustice of it all. When she finished law school, she would…but it hadn't been all bad because out of that experience, came a new friend in Matt, one she would cherish her whole life.

* * *

Matt and Walker briefed the rest of them inside the bathroom and each of them nodded when they received their assignments without comment. Walker ran a tight ship, Matt noticed. Brody had given them some suggestions from his brief stint on the LAPD's metro platoon and Walker had nodded at them and incorporated them into the plan.

Matt's main concern with the operation was to take out Duke without endangering the hostages. He had no idea where C.J. was being kept at that point but figured she and Alex still remained separate from the other hostages. If anything happened to her…he dropped that line of thinking right away and refocused on the plan.

She had been through enough already and they had gotten their lives to where things had been much smoother, at least since he had popped the question during Hurricane Gracie. Their house was coming along nicely and would be done by Christmas and he had handed off his agency to Brody and Roy to direct while he remained focused on launching his new business with Dan.

"Thinking about how you want to get this done and put it behind you," Brody asked.

Matt sighed, realizing how astute his partner was when it came to reading people. This was why ex-cops made great investigators. He knew that despite his misgivings, his agency would be in good hands with Brody while he moved onto the new life he had built for himself.

"We'd better get moving," he responded, checking his gun to make sure it was ready to fire if need be.

Brody read the expression on his friend's face.

"She's going to be okay," he said, "and then I'm taking you both to dinner at the nearest sea food place. My treat."

Matt smiled despite the circumstances.

"She got sick from the halibut the last time we ate there."

Brody rolled his eyes.

"Come on," he said, "We both know that had nothing to do with the fish."

Matt figured his friend was right.

"We'll think about it," he said.

Walker opened the door slightly and peered outside of it into the empty hallway. They could hear some ranting going on most likely from Duke at some distance.

"Do you know where he's at," Sydney asked.

Walker shook his head.

"Sounds like the other side of the bank," he said, "which I think is where several offices and the main lobby are located."

Matt imagined the layout of the bank inside his head. He figured that Alex and C.J. were being kept in one of the far offices probably close to where the bank robbers had placed the male hostages when they had segregated them. That meant that the other female hostages, including Fran were probably sequestered closer to the bathrooms. He ran his hand through his hair trying to figure out how many steps it would take to the far end of the bank and how many they would take before their paths crossed that of Duke.

"He's going to be very dangerous," Walker said, reading his mind, "but we'll break our team into three groups."

Matt nodded.

"Two of us will go to where the women are," he said, "and the other four will head to the other side where the other hostages are."

"And where Duke probably is," Gage chimed in.

Walker looked at his Rangers.

"You and Sydney will come with us," Walker said, "and Jonathan and Brody will find the other female hostages and secure that location."

"We might need some more reinforcements soon boss," Gage pointed out.

"When Jonathan and Brody secure the closest office, they can call for them," Walker said, "There's more coming through the tunnels."

Gage raised his brows.

"You got more to help you?"

Jonathan spoke up.

"I did."

* * *

C.J. sighed as she felt her eyes water and she felt very thirsty, like her throat had turned into sandpaper.

"It's too bad we're out of water."

"Would you like some," Alex said, "There might be more in the other office."

C.J. shook her head.

"We better stay here," she said, "in case the men have a plan."

Alex smiled.

"I know Walker's working on some means of springing us out of here."

"Can't come too soon for me," C.J. said, "I'm feeling a bit sick right now."

"Do you need to…"

C.J. shook her head.

"I'm fine," she said, "I think I just need some fresh air."

"You might be dehydrated," Alex said, "We'll get you some water when we get out of here."

_When we get out of here_…

C.J. hoped that were true and she flashed back to another time when she had been held prisoner and had spent long days inside dreading the time when the room would fill with the shadows that preceded nightfall and his return. She passed the hours away by dreaming of her life when she escaped from that place, it kept her going when she had wanted to give up and to give in. She had built a life inside of her head outside her prison but had released it when it became too much. Until the night she had escaped.

"When we get out of here…"

She repeated that silently to herself.

* * *

Matt crept through the hall with Walker just a half step behind him. They had wished the others luck before proceeding ahead. Jonathan and Brody had drawn the relatively easier task of going into the nearest door into the office where the majority of the women were being kept. The others had just waited long enough before they were sure that everything had worked fine on the oft chance that Duke had been inside that room. After that, the four of them continued down the darkened hallway which seemed to extend endlessly in front of them, almost like they were moving instead on a treadmill and not making any progress.

Matt held onto his gun but didn't draw it yet. He looked around him and every doorway passed had to be checked so that no one would surprise them with an ambush. They knew at this point, Duke realized he was the last robber standing and most likely, that would make the man even more desperate to avoid capture and a return to prison. Matt had a sinking feeling this would turn into a kill or be killed situation which he could live with as long as it didn't endanger C.J. or the other hostages.

Just months ago, he had been in the same situation and it hadn't ended well for him and put C.J. and Brody in the position of having to scramble around to save his life. What they had gone through, particularly C.J. to do that, well Matt didn't want a repeat of that either. So he kept his eyes alert and his wits about him as he continued down the hallway. Two more offices, both of them looking empty and no voices in the vicinity. They proved to be offices vacated by employees who were probably being held hostage with the others. They came to a fork in the road and realized that they had to split up into their two teams. Walker nodded at Gage and Sydney, to proceed, not needing to remind the two experienced agents how carefully they had to proceed. They had moved this far and still no sign of the robber. That meant that he might be in either of the two offices or close enough to cause at least one of the two teams some serious problems.

Matt and Walker remained poised in case they drew the direction which would reveal Duke. They knew they had the element of surprise but how long that would last when faced with an ultra vigilant even paranoid career criminal, remained to unfold.

Matt just sensed they didn't have a lot of time.


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40---This cross fan fiction story has been updated. Thanks for reading it, and I hope you enjoy it. Thanks also for the feedback.

* * *

Matt and Walker kept walking down the hallway, step by step, still hearing no sound let alone any sign of Duke's presence. But they knew that he couldn't be too far away and that they could cross paths with the robber at any moment. Matt stopped, thinking that he heard a creaking noise of the floor beneath some footsteps but then when silence met him, he thought he might be imagining it. They saw the opened door of the office at the end of the hallway and proceeded towards it, hoping that C.J. and Alex waited inside.

* * *

C.J. and Alex sat inside the room awaiting Duke's return. They had heard him muttering in the distance and then the sound faded so they had assumed that he had been checking on either group of hostages who were being kept inside the other offices.

"I hope he stays away," Alex said.

"Me too," C.J. said, "but that's not likely. He must be picking up on how quiet it's been outside this building."

"The quiet before the storm," Alex said.

C.J. sighed.

"I don't know what's going to happen if the SWAT team comes rushing in to save us," she said, "We might get caught in the crossfire."

She knew that when you were a hostage, rescue often proved to be a mixed blessing in that it amped the risk factor of a siege up considerably when special force and tactics teams were sent in to bring them to a dramatic close. A couple of times, she had to take cover quickly to avoid being hit by "friendly fire" and she knew that Alex had grown aware of this too through her own experiences. But if the special team were sent in, all they could do was to stay out of the way and survive the experience the best they could.

"Walker and the others will get to us first," Alex said, "You can count on that."

C.J. knew that about Matt as well. When she had been in danger due to their line of work often tackling volatile cases, Matt had never let anyone or anything standing in his way towards ensuring her safety. She had done the same for him.

"I know Houston will too," she said, "I don't know. Maybe I should have told him."

"There will be plenty of time for that," Alex said, "after you get out of here."

C.J. rubbed her forehead, feeling the tension from her neck muscles create an aching sensation in her head.

"Plenty of time…"

They sat on the beach in front of his house in Malibu the next morning after they had returned to L.A. from their adventure in Silver Lode. The previous day she had exorcised her demons in the parking garage at the office building before traveling up to the penthouse suite where a welcoming party awaited her. She had looked out at the view from the helipad with Matt and had felt like she had come full circle. She had woken the next morning and told him that she wanted to head out to the beach to spend a few hours before they left for Houston. And so they had taken a walk along the shoreline as the tide came in and had sat in the warm sand looking out at the smooth glass of the ocean that spanned as far as they could see.

She had looked at him even when he didn't know it, taking in his features and remembering how they felt beneath her touch. It had taken them years, nearly their whole lives to get to this point where they had decided to spend their lives together. She hadn't told him about the visions that had revealed themselves when she fought for her life, glimpses of a future in the balance.

"Do you want children," she asked.

A moment later, she realized it was a silly question. Of course he did, she knew he loved children and felt at ease around them. His family hadn't been large but his friends including his business partner, Brody had children and they all congregated around Matt when he showed up.

"I shouldn't have asked," she amended, "Of course you do."

"You must have a reason," he said, "but yes, I want children."

She smiled at that.

"You'd be a great father."

He looked over at her and tried to read the expression in her eyes.

"What about you?"

She shrugged.

"Sure some day," she said, "but I've got to get to that place."

"You will," he said, "and you'll have a lot to offer them. And you'll have me."

She looked at him suddenly.

"I wouldn't have them with anyone else," she said, "but I don't know when I'll be ready for that."

He knew his response mattered to her by what he saw in her eyes.

"Things are in transition for both of us," he said, "but we'll sort through all that together."

She nodded but still didn't look at him.

"I don't know whether I'll be able to keep them safe."

He sighed, knowing what she was thinking. Not every danger in their lives had been relegated to the past but they couldn't let that stop them from living their lives.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," was what he finally said, reaching out for her hand.

Months later, she knew that life had definitely thrown them some curve balls including some dangerous ones but they had survived them all, as they would continue to do so. Just like the ordeal they were facing right now. She knew he was some place nearby and that made her feel stronger. She also knew she had to do her part when the time came to act.

She looked over at Alex and knew the other woman was thinking the same thing. Neither of them wanted to die inside this bank.

* * *

Jonathan and Brody had entered the office and the group of women had stood up and approached them. Fran recognized Jonathan and folded his arms.

"It's about time you showed up," she said, "You didn't bring Rhonda with you did you?"

He shook his head.

"She's back in Dallas unpacking the house," Jonathan said, "and planning a housewarming party."

Fran snorted.

"That's so like her thinking about a party in the middle of a crisis."

Jonathan smiled, knowing that the affection Fran felt for his wife ran deep. It had gotten both women through some difficult times beginning inside a jail facility in a remote desert county in Arizona. They had further bonded over their mutual desire to help women who faced similar challenges to what they both had while growing up.

"We've got some reinforcements inside the bank," Jonathan said, "and two of the three bank robbers in custody."

The women looked at each other in excitement.

"So we can go home now," one of them asked.

Jonathan looked at them.

"There's still one robber left and he's the most dangerous one," he said, "The ring leader, Duke."

One of the women sat down and sighed.

"So we could still all die in here," she said, wiping her face with her hand.

Brody shook his head.

"No one here is going to die," he said, "but we have to keep you all safe in here until the bank is completely secured."

Fran nodded and tried to reassure the others.

"These men know what they're doing," she said, "We need to help them by doing what they tell us."

Jonathan looked around the room.

"Duke is probably on the other side of the bank where the rest of our team is now," he said, "so we're fine right here."

"What if they start shooting," another woman holding a small child asked.

"Then we'll have to secure ourselves inside here," Jonathan said, "but we're armed too and we'll protect you from more harm,"

Some women nodded at those words while others looked doubtful. Jonathan looked at Fran and she nodded.

"Okay, we're all going to sit down over there," Fran said, pointing to the end of the room opposite the door.

The other women followed her slowly as Jonathan and Brody began to move the furniture to better secure the office.

* * *

Matt and Walker approached the room then stopped and pulled themselves out of sight. Footsteps began approaching from the opposite side of the hallway near the office door.

"It's Duke," Walker said, as they both fell back a few feet.

Matt leaned against the wall with his gun out.

"Is he going inside the room," he asked.

Walker stood still and listened.

"I think he's heading the opposite way," he said, "which is where Sydney and Gage are."

Matt kept his back pressed against the wall and waited to see what would happen next. The office where the two women were being kept remained several feet away from where they now stood. He hoped that the two women were safe inside and that Duke had not harmed them during his restless pacing around the building. He knew that the robber's nerves were frayed and ready to snap and when that happened…he closed his eyes not wanting to think about it.

But he knew C.J. was tougher than she looked and could handle herself. She had saved his life several months ago and then kicked his butt to get him back on track. Hiding her own feelings, she got him to snap out of surrendering to his doubts once Brody set him straight. He had left on the month long mission as soon as he proved to himself he was able to do so and while away, he realized what he had to do and that was make an honest woman out of his girlfriend.

Okay, so the proposal hadn't worked out quite as he had planned thanks largely to Hurricane Gracie but it had proven to be one of the most memorable times of his life especially when she agreed to marry him. He just had to tie up a few loose ends with his business so he could move on with his new life, the one he realized he wanted more than anything else. The new life that awaited both of them once they left this bank and hostage siege behind them. The thought tempted him to rush the situation but he didn't surrender to that temptation. He had to stick to the plan to get everyone out of the bank alive.

Walker looked over at him.

"I don't hear him coming this way," he said, "but obviously he's not run into Gage and Sydney yet."

"I hope they know he's coming," Matt said,

Walker took a deep breath.

"They're well trained and they'll be ready for anything he pulls," he said, "They'll be looking for him."

* * *

"I don't hear him, do you?"

C.J. broke away from her thoughts to look at Alex.

"Me neither," she said, "The guy's crazy walking around. Maybe he's with some of the other hostages."

"I hope he's not hurting anyone."

C.J. hoped so too, but wasn't sure how much longer it would be until Duke did go ballistic and start shooting people. He certainly would believe he had little to lose if backed into a corner which would happen once he realized that Walker, Matt and the others were inside the bank planning a rescue operation. She hoped that Matt would stay safe and that Duke wouldn't harm him if he approached. Still, Matt had been highly trained in the military and had only honed his skills while working as an investigator. It would be difficult for the robber to get the upper hand on him.

"I wonder where the men are," she said, rubbing her hands.

"Maybe they're on their way here," Alex said, "now that there's only one robber left."

"One very crazy robber," C.J. said, "They're going to have to watch their step."

"They'll be fine."

C.J. looked around the room again for anything that could help them.

"We've got to do something," she said, "Maybe we can find a weapon."

Alex rubbed her head.

"There's not much here in this office besides clerical supplies," she said, "I looked already."

C.J. got up to look around again. She wanted to be able to defend herself if Duke returned, set on committing violence. She looked through the drawers and sifted through the papers and other contents inside them.

"I'll look in the storage cabinet again," Alex offered.

* * *

Gage and Sydney neared the office where they believed a group of male hostages had been kept since the siege had begun.

"We'd better go secure the room," Sydney said.

Gage nodded and reached for the door handle, turning it with his hand only to find it wouldn't budge.

"It's locked," he said, "I guess Duke thought he might have problems with a group of men."

"Sexist," Sydney muttered.

"I don't know if I can pick the lock," Gage said, "You're better at that than I am."

Sydney reached into her pocket and pulled out her favorite tool of choice.

Suddenly some footsteps turned the corner and Sydney spun around and saw Duke approach with his gun drawn. He looked just as surprised to see them standing there but he didn't stay immobile for long.

He lifted up his hand with the gun in its grip and then pressed the trigger and fired without saying a word.

Sydney suppressed a scream as Gage crumpled to the floor right next to her, a red stain spreading across his shirt.

"Drop your weapon," Duke ordered getting ready to shoot again.

Sydney just stared at him, frozen in her tracks.

Matt and Walker reacted quickly when they heard the shot.

"It came from where Sydney and Gage are," Walker said, checking his own gun.

Matt looked back at the office where he knew C.J. was located, just a few feet away.

"Walker…"

The other man looked at him, urgency in his eyes.

"We've got to go get him," he said and both men with guns out proceeded in the direction where the shot had been fired.

* * *

C.J. sunk on the ground when she heard the shot.

"Who got hit," she asked.

Alex shrugged. And both women prayed silently that their men were safe.

"Maybe they got Duke," Alex said, hopefully.

C.J. sighed, her heart racing.

"I guess we'll find out soon enough.'

Pretty soon they heard footsteps racing towards their office and braced themselves to see who would come inside.

C.J. looked up and saw Duke.


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41---Another chapter up , hope you enjoy it!

* * *

"What are you looking at," Duke yelled at the two women.

Alex and C.J. just looked at each other, before looking back at him.

"Get down on the ground," he yelled waving his firearm.

They squatted on the ground, looking at him and then at the doorway. They heard other voices from a distance, maybe down a hallway.

"Who'd you shoot," Alex asked, her heart in her throat.

C.J. couldn't even speak, praying that no one got injured or killed. She wondered where Matt was and hoped he was safe. She winced a bit when Duke passed close to her but remained as still as possible.

"If you don't remain on the floor, I'm going to shoot you."

"We're not moving," C.J .said, "We're staying very still just like you asked us."

Duke glared at her.

"I just had to shoot a man because he stood in my path," he said, "So I'm liable to start shooting one of you if you don't do what I say."

Alex and C.J. looked at each other, wondering who he had shot. Was it Matt, or Walker or one of the team members or hostage?

"Did you kill him," C.J. asked, barely able to breathe.

Duke snapped at her.

"I don't know," he said, "I left him on the ground."

* * *

Sydney knelt to help stop the blood from flowing out of Gage's body. He remained on the ground trying not to move while she tended to him.

"Gage, you have to remain still," she said, tersely, "I've got to stop the bleeding until we can get you out of here."

He held his shoulder and winced.

"I felt like I got hit with a sledgehammer," he said, "Where did the guy go?"

Sydney looked around her quickly and saw Walker and Matt approach with their guns drawn. Walker knelt down beside Sydney.

"How's he doing?"

She sighed.

"He's bleeding pretty bad," she said, "I think I can slow it down with some pressure but we have to get him out of here."

Gage lifted his head.

"Don't talk about me like I'm dying and I'm not here."

Sydney pressed a compress to Gage's wound.

"I'll stay with him," she said, "Where are the others?"

"They secured the room where the female hostages were kept," Walker said, "Where did Duke go?"

"He went towards an office on the other side," Sydney said, "It must be where Alex and C.J. are being kept."

Matt looked in that direction, trying to figure out how many steps it would take to reach that door to stop Duke. He looked over at Walker.

"We've got to stop him."

Walker nodded and drew his gun again.

"Then we'd better get going."

The two men left Sydney and Gage and proceeded to the office where Duke had headed.

* * *

Duke kept pacing the room, obviously agitated and occasionally looking out the windows. C.J. and Alex watched him carefully from where they lay on the floor.

"He's really losing it," Alex said.

C.J. nodded.

"I don't know how much time we have left."

"Is there any way to get out of here," Alex asked.

"I don't think so," C.J. said, "unless he's taken out of the equation."

Duke must have heard them talking because he walked right over and picked up C.J. by the arm dragging her on her feet.

"Get up," he said, dragging her to the window, "I want them to see us together."

C.J. looked out of the window and saw a long line of officers dressed in special gear and armored vehicles. She knew that was the commando team that they had planned to send inside the bank to rescue them. Duke started yelling out the window which caused them to call for a commander.

"I'm going to kill this woman if you don't get me my demands."

C.J. closed her eyes and tried to focus her attention on remaining calm and not struggle in his grip. He pulled her away from the window and forced her to line up against the wall, and then he reached over and dragged Alex on her feet and did the same thing. He kept his gun aimed on both of them while his back was to the door.

"Now neither of you move an inch," Duke ordered, pacing back and forth.

"They're going to come and get you," C.J. said.

"Not before I can kill the both of you if they get too close."

C.J. had no doubt that Duke would kill him if he had the chance and the thought filled her with fear but also with determination to get out of here. She still didn't know who Duke had shot and a part of her worried that it had been Matt. She wanted to get out of the room so she could find out. Could see for herself that he was okay.

She had seen him through some very close calls before during all the years that she had known her best friend. Times when he had been shot and nearly died, or been abducted and she had felt helpless to stop what happened.

"I'm sure he's okay," Alex said, reading her mind, "I'm sure they're both okay."

C.J. nodded.

Duke spun around and they both raised their hands.

"We're not doing anything but what you told us," Alex said, "You need to calm down."

His hands went up including the one holding the gun.

"Calm down," he said, "I'm ready to start doing some killing."

"You don't have to kill anyone," C.J. said, "You can just put the gun down and turn yourself in."

"It's too late to do that," Duke said, "I'm not going back to prison and if I have to kill a couple more of you to get out of here, I will."

"Your accomplices are already in custody," Alex said, "There's no point in dragging this out any further."

He started waving his gun around.

"I'll say how long I'll drag this out."

He grabbed C.J. and turned around and faced the door out into the hallway. His eyes widened when he saw Matt standing there with his own gun drawn.

"Who are you," Duke asked.

C.J. looked over at Matt who stood in the hallway looking back at the scene in front of him.

"Let the women go," Matt said, aiming his gun at Duke.

Walker stood behind him, his own weapon ready. Alex saw her husband and hope filed her heart. He looked at his wife and nodded slightly. Tears threatened in her eyes and she blinked them away.

"I'm not going to give up my ticket out of here," Duke said, "You get me what I want and I'll let these women go."

"You let them go now," Matt said, "and we'll see about getting you out of here."

Duke didn't budge.

"You tell them to give me what I want now, or I'll kill them."

Matt and Walker looked at each other.

"We've got to take care of this guy," Matt said.

"He's too close to the women."

Matt nodded, understanding that and tried to figure out how to draw the robber further away from his hostages.

"Hey," he said to Duke, "Why don't we discuss your situation out in the hallway?"

Duke just stared at him.

"So you can ambush me," he said, "I don't think so. If anyone's going to do any shooting, it's going to be me."

"No one else has to get shot," Matt said, "We can get you what you want, it's just going to take some good faith effort on your part."

Duke spit some words back at him in response.

"Good faith," he said, "There's not been any of that since this got started."

"You started it Duke," Walker reminded him, "You and your boys."

Matt watched the other man's face work and the gun remain firm in his grasp. He watched the two women watching the events unfold with rapt attention, trying to swallow away their fear.

"Let them go," Walker said, "and we'll make sure no one harms you. If you don't, the feds are going to send that commando team in to get you."

"Then I'll kill as many hostages as I can before they get to me," Duke said, "beginning with these two here."

C.J. just watched the standoff between both sides continue.

She had been in that situation several times before, even though she didn't like to think about it where she had been held captive even before her ordeal with Andre Duval. She realized quickly enough that it was par for the course for anyone involved in the investigative field. Not that she hadn't been scared when it happened like with that psycho who abducted her in the hospital parking lot and took her off to be held as bait in the amusement park to draw Matt in for a battle for his life and hers. She had been scared for herself during the long hours before dawn broke but more so for him when he showed up, shotgun in hand, to respond to the challenge.

She loved what she did, what they both did. And she had watched the past few months while the man that she loved had said goodbye to his agency in L.A. and had come back home to Texas to start a new life with her. Not one that was necessarily less dangerous as her new work had put her in a risky situation now and then. And she knew that Matt's new business would create the same degree of unpredictability as his old one. But both of them accepted the risks because they both loved to help people in trouble. Neither of them needed for money due to the incredible success of Houston Enterprises which was in the capable hands of Murray and such, they could afford to pursue their passions full time. And still have time for a personal life together.

They walked side by side on the land that they had purchased, the massive acreage with the old ranch house perched on it. That structure needed a lot of work and more than a little love and tender care but the land which surrounded it, including that which bordered the lake held tremendous promise. He had fixed up the barn first and shipped some of his horses in already, paying a local rancher to take care of them while they stayed in Houston. But he and C.J. had taken them out before the weather had gotten colder to survey their new home. They both wanted a working ranch and they could afford to hire enough people to tend to that while they dealt with their own busy lives.

His best memories and hers were built while growing up working their respective ranches and helping each other as often happened in those parts. They had a vision in their mind when they discussed where which areas made the best pasture land and where the corrals would be. They had spent hours walking the land as well as taking the horses out together. Planning how the ranch would operate and the family that would fill it, one that had already gotten started though neither of them knew it. Funny how life worked out despite the best plans.

Now C.J. stood against a wall at a bank she had spent nearly two days trapped inside and thought about the dream within reach that was hers to claim. But she had to get out of here first. They all had to get out of here safely so they could all go home. Alex could go home to her baby girl and husband, Fran to her twins and Carlos and she and Matt could go back to their house and she could tell him he was going to become a father a little earlier than they had planned. She bit her lip not willing to see all that slip away because of the actions of one crazed man.

Matt looked at C.J. and thought she looked tired. All he wanted to do was to get her out of here and get her home.

"This has gone on long enough," he said to Walker.

Walker agreed.

"You move slowly on that side," he said, "and I'll take the other."

C.J. saw what they were doing but she saw that Duke had remained hyper alert perhaps because he appeared about to snap. If he did that, he could shoot either of the two men approaching him or both of them. She bit her lip thinking about how she couldn't let that happen and remembered that she wasn't totally defenseless. Duke had his back to her because he seemed intent on the two men in front of him as his greater threat.

She made a split decision. Even the two men were shocked when she grabbed Duke from behind and began trying to force him to the ground. Alex looked over at C.J. and tried to grab Duke's arm. He appeared shocked at the woman and brought his gun around. C.J. saw it and pushed him harder away, causing him to trip over the carpet and fall to the ground with a thud. Both Walker and Matt saw this as their opportunity to act but Duke had grabbed C.J.'s foot and she fell to the ground as well. He groped around for his gun which had fallen out of his hand.

The fight had begun.


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42--This story's finally done! I hope you enjoy reading it, thank you, thank you for your patience and the feedback!

* * *

C.J. hated physical confrontations with bad guys trying to harm her or those that she loved. She only fought with her body when she had to do so, preferring to try to outwit any adversaries with her brilliant mind and negotiation skills. Most of the time that worked and she had been able to extricate herself and Matt out of a treacherous situation by her gift for gab. But other times, well she had to use the fighting skills that others had taught her including Matt. She had honed her skills further after having been abducted and terrorized by Andre because it helped her grab control back over the life that had been taken away from her.

She had spent nearly two days with Duke and his friends. Long enough to know that he pissed her off for keeping her and the other hostages locked up inside a bank and away from those who loved them for so long. Matt and the others had taken Duke's two accomplices out of the equation and that left only a rapidly unraveling Duke left to deal with before they all could go home.

She had grabbed him without even thinking about it. Matt and Walker had walked into the office and she had been so relieved to see them there, to know that the gun shot she had earlier hadn't hit them. But she knew that they were all in danger and she had to act before Duke could start shooting again. So she had done that and now she fought with him on the ground. Alex had also tried to grab Duke as he fumbled around for the gun. She had to keep her focus on it to keep him from getting hold of it. Matt and Walker acted quickly trying to pull them off of her but he threw them off with the strength of someone truly desperate. He struck her face and she blinked back tears as she saw him grab hold of the handgun and try to bring it up against the two men. She struck his hand as hard as she could with her own and it wobbled out of his grasp. He tried to get it before he lost it but Alex kicked it away with her shoe across the carpet. Duke's eyes followed it as it moved away from him, his shoulders sagging but the will to fight still flashing in his eyes.

She had fought against too many men in the past several years but she had loved one. And he had given up so much, risking his life to help her reclaim her own.

* * *

They both sat on the deck outside of his cabin in the mountains, watching the sun set behind the lake and the mountains which had taken on a purplish tinge in the distance as the kaleidoscope of colors basked them before retiring for the night. C.J. had hiked all day on her own, needing some space to think about everything that had happened during the past week when the nightmare had slipped back into her life. She hadn't needed reminding that she might never be able to put away all that had been bad but she had learned that she could handle anything that arose. But watching Matt struggle for his life because of that, had made her wonder if it were worth it. Now as he had been recovering and getting his own strength back, she thought about the dangers she had brought to his life.

"What you thinking about," he asked.

She kept her eyes focused on the sunset, watching the last lights of the day dancing in front of her.

"Nothing…," she started, "No that's not true, I've been thinking of a lot of things."

"You were gone a long time today," he said, "but you came back."

She felt her skin grow pink.

"I realized I couldn't live without what we had built together," she said, "I just wish we didn't have to watch our backs all the time."

He shrugged.

"I don't know," he said, "You've got a really nice looking one."

She smiled despite herself but her eyes remained unsettled.

"I didn't think it would come back," she said.

He nodded.

"I know."

She looked at her hands, which still held some of her scars.

"Is this what you really want," she said, "to live like this, where you don't know where the next threat will be coming?"

He thought about that and she bit her lips watching him. In his worn blue jeans stained by dirt and grass from a day spent planting tree seedlings and his worn varsity football sweat shirt. Matt didn't even like gardening much but he had done it so that she would know that he would still be there when she returned from her hike. Besides, give a decade or two and there would be a new line of shade trees for people to enjoy. She wondered what life would bring them up to that point.

"Life's always been a crapshoot," he said, "I learned that growing up on a ranch and watching people die. In the military where every step could be your last…and through my investigative work."

She nodded, having learned that too.

"I know that, but this is different," she said, "I don't want the people around me to be harmed because of that. I don't want the man I love…"

She struggled to finish and he reached for her hand, taking it in his own.

"I'm right here C.J.," he said, "I'm not going anywhere. At least until we're done here and it's time to go home."

She sighed. Home for them right now remained in different cities separated by over a thousand miles. He still had to check in on his investigative firm and she had her own career that kept her very busy even though she loved what she did. His touch comforted her but she still felt troubled.

"And I'm scared to have the family I really want," she admitted, "that I could lose."

She put her other hand over her eyes. He knew that family meant everything to her and that she wanted marriage and children some day. She had told him that she wanted that life with him and he knew he wanted nothing else than to build that life with her.

"No one's going to take that away from you," he said, "I won't let them and I'm very good at what I do."

She pondered that. She knew he was good at a lot of things and that he meant what he said. The man she loved with her whole heart had never left her to face her own demons but had been right at her side. He had held her when nightmares robbed her of her sleep and had risked his life to save her own more times than she could count.

"I know," she said, "I just have to work on believing that the future's out there waiting for us."

He heard the commitment in her voice to that dream and making it a reality with him. It had been a long and difficult journey but they would get there and make it count.

C.J. pushed him off of her and finally Matt and Walker were able to pull him and toss him on the ground so that Walker could handcuff the third and last bank robber, bringing the siege to its end. C.J. remained lying on the ground thoroughly spent from her struggle and trying to slow her breathing down. Matt left Duke and knelt back down to help her on her feet.

"Everything's okay now," he said, stroking the hair off of her face.

She nodded.

"I know," she said, "I just want to get out of here and go to the hospital."

His eyebrows shot up as fear filled him in a heartbeat.

"What's wrong," he said, "Is everything okay?"

She smiled at his concern and reached up to touch the stubble on his face.

"No, nothing's wrong," she said, "I just want to go check out Chris and Dan's new baby."

He smiled.

"The one you delivered," he said, "He's doing just fine."

"I had help," she said, "and I have something to tell you. I've been wanting to tell you for days."

Matt thought he knew but he let her tell him anyway and the smile that lit up his face…well, C.J. looked at it and thought life couldn't get any better than this.

Matt helped C.J. on her feet and they walked out of the bank together after Jonathan and Brody came out with the hostages and Sydney watched nervously as paramedics tended to the wounded Gage. She insisted on riding in the ambulance with her partner and no one bothered to try to dissuade her. Walker talked to the both of them, patted Gage on his good shoulder and watched them go.

"He's going to be all right," he said, "Just a flesh wound. We've all had them."

Matt nodded.

"He'll get some time off and then he'll be back to work soon enough," he said, remembering from his own experiences.

"Sydney will keep him in line," Alex said, "She really cares about him."

Walker knew that. In fact, he guessed that the feelings his two colleagues shared went beyond professional respect. But that was something the two of them would have to work out for themselves, given t he demands of the career that they shared.

When the fading sunlight hit C.J. she suddenly felt her legs go weak from under her. Matt caught her before she fell and scooped her up in his arms.

"Houston, let me down!"

He refused.

"And have you faint before we even get to the car."

She looked at him dubiously.

"Where is your car?"

He frowned.

"You know," he said, "I don't remember."

"I can walk then," she said, "Really put me down."

"I'll put you down when we get to the car," he said, "And we'll go and visit Chris and her baby…and make sure Gage is all right and you are all right…"

"I'm fine," she insisted, "Just hungry for some pizza with…onions and anchovies…"

Matt blanched.

"Are you sure you can handle all that?"

She laughed.

"Better get used to it or it's going to be a long seven months."

They finally found the car when Brody pulled up in front of them and they got inside to go to the hospital.

* * *

Chris sat in the bed with the bassinet holding her brand new son resting right next to her and received her guests. She looked none the worse for wear, having given birth inside a bank while being held hostage. Dan spent most of his time looking down at his son as if hardly believing that he lay there, given that the road to parenthood had been a rocky one for the couple. Mostly to shut Matt up, C.J. had a doctor look her over and after his exam, he pronounced her and her pending little one in great health but said he wanted her to take a week off and relax a bit before returning to the battles of the courtroom. Alex had made several phone calls and their case in federal court had been put on a brief recess. C.J. and especially Matt thanked her for that.

"It's the least I could do," Alex said, "You two have fun celebrating and C.J., I'll try to work out some better arrangements for your client."

C.J. embraced Alex and thanked her, before Alex left to head home to her own daughter along with Walker who had left strict instructions with Gage to take it easy and Sydney to keep an eye on her partner.

She sat with Chris for a while as the woman fretted a bit about not completing her nursery in time for her baby to come home. C.J. told her she had nothing to worry about.

"I'll make sure the guys get it all finished up and ready before you come home," she promised.

The guys all looked at C.J. and then nodded.

"Sure," Brody said, "I'm the expert here on babies and nurseries."

Matt shot his partner a look.

"We'll keep a close eye on him," he told Chris.

Dan told his wife that the guys would finish the nursery and then they would greet her when she came home with some Texan barbecue. Chris smiled broadly at that.

"And then we guys can leave the women the next day and check out that car show," he said.

Fran walked in hearing that and rolled her eyes.

"Then we women will take over the house and maybe rethink some of that interior decorating," she said.

Dan's eyes widened and the men all grew silent.

"Just kidding," Fran said.

As it turned out, the men would have nothing to worry about as they woke up early on Saturday morning and worked together to finish the nursery without making too much a mess of things. They painted the room and while it dried, took some beers out on the porch after admiring their progress and work ethic.

"What do you think the women are doing now," Dan asked nervously.

Brody popped the tab on his beer.

"My wife's probably shopping," he said, "She's probably been hitting the stores since I left L.A."

Carlos and Matt looked at each other.

"They're probably talking about us," Carlos said, sipping his drink, "Fran's already thinking about having more kids and maybe she'll get her friends to gang up on me."

The other men chuckled.

"C.J.'s already itching to get back to work," Matt said, "but after we're done here, we're going to get on the jet and take off to Miami so she can eat the world's best pizza with whatever she wants on it to her heart's content."

Dan nodded.

"Mama Novelli always did make the best pizza."

The four women surrounded the bassinet looking down at Chris' son.

"He looks just like Dan," Fran said.

Rhonda snorted.

"What did you expect," she said, "that he'd look like the milkman?"

She had driven down for the weekend while her husband tied things up involving the bank robbery in Houston, temporarily leaving her task of unpacking their new house in Dallas. She had already hooked up with Alex and Walker who had wanted to throw her a housewarming party when she was finished.

C.J. had held Chris' baby that morning in her arms, imagining what it would be like when she met her own baby. Her morning sickness had begun to ebb and her appetite had kicked up a storm. Matt had said that after the festivities were done at Chris and Dan's house that he had a surprise for her. She had wanted to go back to work a couple days of house arrest and he had to come up with a way to keep her mind on relaxing. She had slept most of that first two days comfortable in her own bed, much of it with the arms of her man wrapped around her holding her close. But on the third day, she had jumped out of bed to go to the store and buy some baby things for her friend who hadn't even started her maternity leave before going into labor.

"I'm already so tired," Chris said, "but I've never been so happy."

"Wait until you try to get your body back," Fran lamented.

Rhonda shrugged.

"You've both got some extra up front," she said, "That should make up for it."

Fran smiled.

"You've got a point."

"What about you C.J.," Rhonda said, "How's your wedding planning coming?"

C.J hadn't really even gotten started. True to form, Matt had tried to move their wedding date up a month but she had stood firm that she wanted to walk down the aisle when their home had been completed and all of her friends could come. He had relented soon enough and had taken good care of her in the meantime. Yet still allowing her the space needed to be herself, a balancing act for him to engage in to be sure.

The nursery turned out to be a hit with the new mother and even her friends approved of what the men had done with the room in such a short period of time. Alex and Walker had driven up and during the tour of the completed project; Alex had shared her own story of how Walker had nearly bowled her off of her feet when he completed the nursery for their own baby.

After they settled the baby down in his new home, the rest of them hit the barbecue where steaks awaited and a case of beer had been put on ice, along with some ginger ale for the expectant mother in the group. Matt made sure C.J. got herself settled with a plate of food while she rolled her eyes at him.

"Better get used to it girl," Rhonda said, "You knew what you were getting yourself into when you shacked up with him."

Indeed she did and she wouldn't trade him in but she needed to set some perimeters for this overprotective side of his…which she would after she finished this delicious food in front of her. She sat back and looked at the people who were the closest to her, the family that she hadn't had while growing up and thought life didn't get any better than that.

"So Matt, you coming with us to the car show tomorrow," Dan asked.

Matt hedged, his can of beer stopped halfway to his lips.

"Well I kind of have a …date with a very attractive young woman," he said, "In fact, as soon as we're finished here, we have to catch a flight."

C.J. looked at him with a start.

"Where are we heading off to," she said, "You mentioned something about going out for pizza."

He studied her face, wondering how she would react to his surprise.

"Well, not just any pizza," he said, "not for the woman of my child. She gets only the best in the world."

Her face lit up then and she went over and embraced him and he pulled her in his lap.

"And maybe while we're there," he said, "We can stop off and get married…"

She laughed.

"Oh you just never give up do you?"

He looked into her sparkling eyes and then he kissed her.

"Not about the important things in life."

And with that, she settled in his embrace and enjoyed the rest of the party with her friends.


End file.
